A tentative, four-year labor deal with a coalition of unions representing about 20,000 civilian municipal employees has been reached, Mayor Eric Garcetti and the coalition’s leader announced Wednesday.
The agreement, which lasts until June 2018, 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 — which still needs to be ratified by the City Council, Garcetti and the employee unions — does not include any increase in the employee premiums.
Garcetti and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions issued a joint statement announcing the deal.
“Together, we have achieved a fair and fiscally responsible contract that allows the city to restore and improve the services our residents need and deserve, while strengthening our budget position,” Garcetti said.
Cheryl Parisi, who chairs the city union coalition, said “our city workers held strong at the bargaining table and worked with the city to reach an agreement that addresses the concerns of city workers and our communities.”
Council President Herb Wesson said the deal came about “after more than a year of good-faith bargaining between all parties” and he is “pleased we were able to come to a tentative agreement putting the city on a more certain financial footing.”
“I am optimistic that the city’s employees will view the agreement as fair and reasonable and ultimately vote to ratify the contract,” he said.
— City News Service