San Diego City Councilmembers have responded favorably to Local 127’s request to open discussions that could lead to a settlement of the Union’s charges of bad-faith bargaining filed against the City.

    As hoped by Local 127, Councilmembers held a closed session with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith on May 11 regarding the Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by the Union with the state Public Employee Relations Board (PERB).

    During the closed session, councilmembers also discussed a separate PERB lawsuit  that targets the unlawful contracting-out of city work that should be performed by our blue-collar employees and not by unmonitored private companies.

     The Union’s  40-hour candlelight vigil at the entrance to City Hall (see story below)  ended on May 5 at the start of the City Council’s Tuesday afternoon session.

    The Union went into that session in the hopes of turning around the harm done to our workers by the council’s previous decision to agree with the Mayor’s draconian one-year, imposed contract.

     “Our workers care about their jobs and the citizens of San Diego.  We continue to work hard for the city.  We recognize that the city has tough financial decisions to make, but we need you to recognize that the current salary ordinance would be devastating to our workers and be significantly more damaging than the agreements reached with the other Unions,”  Local 127 President Joan Raymond told the Council during the hearing.

    Noting that Local 127 had had fruitful discussions with the City Attorney, she requested  that the Council hold closed sessions so that Goldsmith could advise them on our Unfair Labor Practice charges.

    Local 127 looks forward to reaching an equitable solution with the Council and the City Attorney that will be beneficial to our workers and to the city.

    During the Council meeting, Goldsmith had advised  that the Council does have the authority to have his office represent their interests in solving the Unfair Labor Practice charges.

    Section 40 of the City Charter and the state Meyers-Milias-Brown Act gives them the power to assert Council authority over the Mayor on these issues.

    In the meantime, the Union  set up a table for one week outside City Hall to collect donations and food to the Local 127 Hardship Assistance Fund.

     “Some of our workers have to choose between feeding their families and getting health care,” Raymond said.  “If the Mayor’s demands stick, some will be living in their cars.”

    Parks and Recreation  Director Stacey LoMedico, and many downtown and city employees,  stopped by the table to give donations and offer their support.

    Despite his serious plight, a generous homeless man walked over and put a dollar in the container.

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