The Mayor is expected to announce that he is overriding a decision by the City Council yesterday to delay layoffs for 30 days and push them forward to early next week.The Mayor's press conference starts at 3:45pm
Additional @4:45pm
Union coalition members point out that if the Mayor lays off their employees before July 1 2010, this will break an agreement for delayed pay raises and the City will be paying a 3% raise retroactive to July 2009 to these employees. The price? $50-55 million.
So will the 1,000 layoffs be coming from non-coalition employees?
Additional 2-5-10:
Mayor's Budget Letter Feb4 2010 Additional @4pm:
This is from the Mayor's so-called Blog
Tough Choices to Secure Our Economic Future
...With the authority invested in me by the City Charter and the people of Los Angeles, I’m taking immediate action toward balancing this fiscal year’s budget, strengthening the city’s credit rating and restoring the city’s long-term fiscal health.
Today, I am directing the elimination of 1,000 filled, full-time position authorities and instructing the Personnel Department to immediately begin calculating layoff, displacement seniority and/or transfers of employees filling these targeted positions.
I am also instructing the Personnel Department to place general funded employees into special funded positions and proprietary departments effective February 16, 2010.
These transfers will generate savings to the city’s general fund while permitting up to 360 employees to avoid layoffs. Employees interested in volunteering for transfer to Special Funded or Proprietary departments will have until 5:00 PM on Monday, February 8 to inform their respective department heads.
I will work with the Personnel Department and our general managers to effectuate these transfers from the list of volunteers. But I will reserve my right as Mayor to transfer any employee at any time as needed to protect the City’s General and Reserve Funds.
I'm also calling on the Council to adopt an ordinance to allow City employees to retire without the usual 30 to 60 day advance application requirement. Waiving this requirement will expedite retirements and provide needed relief to the General Fund.
It will also allow those employees who are facing layoffs and who are retirement eligible to leave the City in the most humane way possible.
Finally, I am asking the City Council to move their uncommitted funds, totaling up to $40 million, into the Reserve Fund until such time that the City Reserve Fund reaches 5% of the overall budget....
