Local News in Brief : Racial Bias Probe Urged

The Los Angeles City Council’s three black members on Tuesday called for a city investigation and hearings into allegations of racial discrimination by a major contractor on the publicly funded Los Angeles-to-Long Beach trolley project. Citing workers’ complaints reported by The Times last week, a motion presented by Councilmen Robert Farrell, Nate Holden and Gilbert Lindsay urges the full council to push for suspension of work on the $750-million project until the racial bias allegations are resolved.

Current and former black workers have alleged that Herzog Contracting Corp., which has been awarded $55 million in rail-laying contracts, treated them unequally in work assignments, pay, layoffs and terminations. The company has denied the allegations and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, which is building the trolley, said it has found no evidence of discrimination and will take no action until state and federal labor agencies complete investigations of workers’ complaints.

The motion was referred to the Transportation and Traffic Committee, chaired by Holden.