L.A. City Council to Vote on Layoffs

After protracted negotiations with unionized city workers, the Los Angeles City Council will likely vote on Monday to approve a city budget which could cost 761 of those workers their jobs. 

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has twice been elected with strong union support, said that the city could avoid layoffs if union workers took a five percent pay cut and agreed to pay more into their pension fund.  The union countered that it had already made numerous concessions to help balance L.A.’s budget.

Los Angeles faces a $485 million budget deficit.  The proposed layoffs could save $57 million.