County Workers Plan to Protest Stalled Wage Talks

Just when it seemed that labor peace had returned to Los Angeles County government, union officials representing 40,000 workers announced Sunday that they will march on the Board of Supervisors’ meeting Tuesday to protest stalled negotiations.

Service Employees International Union Local 660, whose members have worked without a contract since Sept. 30, reached agreement in November on benefits after staging walkouts but have been unable to come to terms on a pay raise.

The county has offered a 3% pay raise effective next July 1. Local 660 general manager Gilbert Cedillo said he objected to a county proposal to tie an additional 2% pay raise for 1993 to state budget deliberations, saying that that makes any pay raise next year “improbable.”

Elliot Marcus, county director of employee relations, said that given the economic conditions, “I don’t think they can find a sympathetic chord with the public in light of the fact that they received a 2 3/4% increase in July, 1991, and we’re offering another 3% in July, 1992.”