Service Employees International Union Members Demand Raises
Members of the Service Employees International Union gathered downtown Tuesday to demand raises from the Board of Supervisors.
The Board is considering a proposed $24.7 billion for the coming year.
The budget for 2013-2014 year is now balanced after five years of deficits, according to Chief Executive Officer William Fujioka.
"This is an exceptional story for the county of Los Angeles,'' Fujioka said.
Thousands of workers gathered, wearing yellow and purple T-shirts to fight for raises.
Lillian Cabral, a Service Employees International Union member, has already worked for Los Angeles for 35 years. Under current conditions, she will have to work for another 11 years before she can retire with benefits.
"I have sacrificed long enough, living paycheck to paycheck," Cabral said. "Give us what we have sacrificed and worked hard for."
As the city left 2,100 positions unfilled, workers were forced to do more work without proper compensation.
"In 2013, come hell or hell water, there will be a raise for SEIU workers,'' Michael Green, Los Angeles County Regional Director for SEIU Local 721, told the board today.
The county faced unpredictable costs through the Affordable Care Act and Assembly Bill 109, both of which added to deficits.
AB109 placed the responsibility of incarcerating low-risk inmates on the county rather than the state, which caused unexpected costs at the local level.
The new budget assumes a 2.9 percent growth in property tac revenue and a 4 percent increase in sales tax revenue. SEIU workers want to ensure they reap the benefits of this expected revenue
Third grader Kiana Brown pulled at the heartstrings of those present at today's board meeting, as she sat outside wearing a T-shirt reading "My mom needs a raise.''
Kiana voiced the concerns of workers, saying they "want a raise and they want things to be right.''
When Kiana was asked how much of a raise her mother should receive, she briefly contemplated her answer and then replied "100 percent.''
Whether or not raises are negotiated, Fujioka helped initiate the difficult conversation on pension benefits today.
More public hearings on the budget are set to begin May 15.
