Tuesday
30Jun

LA Daily News: EAA Members Receive First Layoff Notices

June 30, 2009—The first handful of City layoff notices were sent out Monday to six departments, and all of the jobs that will receive layoff notices in this initial round are held by members of EAA, which refused to participate in negotiations and has threatened a lawsuit against the Coalition agreement, the Daily News reported today.

"[The City] refused to talk to us during the years they had money and now they want to talk to us? We have no trust in the city after all their years of lying to us ... I think all our workers have the skills to end up in another job in the city."
—EAA General Manager Bob Aquino, Daily News (6/30/09)

Updated 7/1/09: CAO Memo: Furlough Program—Clarification and Update

Local news coverage highlights Coalition unions' budget agreement:

Los Angeles Times: L.A. City Council approves early retirement plan despite opposition (6/27/09)
NBC Los Angeles: City and Union Find Compromise to Avoid Layoffs (6/26/09)
LA Daily News: Council, union agree on plan that would save money without layoffs (6/26/09)

Friday
26Jun

City Council Votes Unanimously for Landmark Coalition Agreement to Avert Layoffs and Furloughs

June 26, 2009—Just days before the new fiscal year, the LA City Council voted 14-0 earlier today to approve a landmark agreement between the City and the Coalition of LA City Unions that will avert layoffs and furloughs, create early retirement incentives and prevent major service reductions. Read more at seiu721.org.

"Our goal all along was to keep people working and serving the residents of Los Angeles ... This agreement keeps the City running, but also makes us part of the engine for economic recovery rather than part of the problem."
      —SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover

Download: Letter of agreement | Highlights flyer | Ratification summary

EAA Opposes Agreement, Early Retirement

Meanwhile, EAA’s Bob Aquino fought to preserve layoffs and furloughs for Coalition members and to prevent EAA members from participating in early retirement. Watch City Council video (skip to 04:02:00)
Wednesday
24Jun

SEIU, Coalition Bargaining Teams Unanimously Approve 'Better Way' Plan; to City Council Next 

June 24, 2009—In the midst of the worst economic crisis in decades, SEIU and Coalition bargaining teams voted unanimously yesterday afternoon to recommend ratification of a plan to secure services, jobs, wages and contracts long enough for Los Angeles to weather the economic storm.

The agreement would prevent layoffs and mandatory furloughs while helping up to 2,400 workers retire with dignity and saving the City nearly half a billion dollars over two years. Once agreed to by the full City Council this week, ballots will go out to a vote of the full membership of SEIU and other unions in the Coalition of LA City Unions. Read highlights of the plan at SEIU721.org

Tuesday
23Jun

Victory! MOU 17 Chooses SEIU; MOU 8 Heads to Run-Off Election  

June 23, 2009—Following in the footsteps of thousands of other City workers who've left EAA over the years to join other city unions, nearly 500 City employees in MOU 17 have chosen SEIU 721, according to the results of a ballot tally this afternoon at the Employee Relations Board (ERB). Today's tally of ballots confirmed that the 1,500 City workers in MOU 8 will vote in a run-off election to be scheduled at a later date.

"This is great news for those of us in MOU 17—our voices will be heard in SEIU. It's been a long, hard fight to leave EAA, but the fight isn't over. We will continue to support our colleagues and we'll do whatever we can to assist them in their efforts to also make the important switch to SEIU."

—Joe Maturino, Bureau of Sanitation/Recycling, MOU 17

Monday
22Jun

Employee Relations Board: Remaining Ballots to Be Counted Tuesday, June 23 

June 22, 2009—The Employee Relations Board today accepted the findings of an independent investigation into hundreds of un-postmarked ballots cast in the recent election to decertify EAA, and ordered those ballots to be opened and tallied tomorrow at 2 pm.

This is one small step toward our ultimate goal of ridding ourselves of the tyranny of EAA," said Craig Kunesh, Bureau of Engineering, MOU 8, who testified before the Employee Relations Board this morning and urged them to count the contested ballots.

The Board's decision brings 2,000 LA City employees in MOUs 8 and 17 one step closer to joining SEIU. Results from tomorrow's ballot count will be posted here tomorrow afternoon, as soon as they are available.