Board to Consider DWP Wage Contract

Two weeks after the Department of Water and Power board refused to approve controversial pay raises for agency workers, the five-year contract is back on the panel’s agenda for Tuesday.

Two commissioners who last time refused to support a vote on the five-year contract sounded less certain Friday.

“I’m still thinking about the issue,” said board member Silvia Saucedo, who wouldn’t approve the contract two weeks ago.

Board member Annie Cho, who had said the contract should wait for a new board to be appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, voiced concern Friday that the appointments haven’t been made and the contract will expire Sept. 30.

“I need to take a look at it,” Cho said. “I thought the announcement would be made about the appointments. It’s already the middle of August.”

Acting board chairman Sid Stolper said two weeks ago that he was willing to vote for the contract, but when he asked for a motion to approve the contract, none of the other three members spoke up.

Saucedo and Cho said they have not talked to other board members and were unaware of any possible deal.

The contract would need the votes of three members of the board, which lost its chairman, Dominick Rubalcava, when he resigned last month.

The contract for nearly 8,000 DWP workers would guarantee that salaries go up at least 17% over five years but could increase up to 34%.

The proposal has been approved by DWP General Manager Ron Deaton, who was on vacation when the board last took up the matter but is expected to attend Tuesday’s board meeting.

Adding to the pressure on the board, the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 18, has threatened a strike if the new contract is not in place Oct. 1.

Cho said her vote would not be based on any threat.

“That doesn’t concern me,” she said.

Even if the DWP board approves the contract, it would have to be ratified by the City Council, where some members have also raised questions.