Members of a union representing about 22,000 non- sworn city employees overwhelmingly approved a proposed four-year labor deal with the city, union leaders announced Tuesday.
Leaders of the Coalition of L.A. City Unions called the contract — which they said passed “overwhelmingly” — a victory for workers and Los Angeles residents. Two bargaining units representing 1,500 workers still need to tally their votes, and will have their results next week.
The contract would begin the process of restoring 5,000 city employee positions. It also calls for Mayor Eric Garcetti, the City Council and labor groups to create programs to help people from disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles be hired by the city, Parisi said.
Parisi, who represents a coalition of 19 bargaining units that represent employees ranging from sanitation to Recreation and Parks workers, said the contract also contains provisions that ensure part-time employees are given enough hours to have a better chance of qualifying for health insurance benefits.
The contract also calls for the wages of about 2,600 city employees to be set at $15 by Jan. 1, 2017, Parisi said.
The labor deal still needs to be approved by the City Council.
City leaders and the union earlier this year announced the tentative agreement, which calls for the workers’ pay to remain frozen for three years, followed by a 2 percent raise in the fourth year.
Retirement plans would stay the same for current employees, but new workers would see reduced benefits.
Though Garcetti and other city leaders had wanted employees to pay 10 percent of their health-care premiums, the deal does not include any increase in the employee premiums.
—City News Service