Labor Unions Protest Proposed County Budget : Finances: Marchers deliver a mock casket to Gov. Wilson’s L.A. offices. Leaders say the fiscal situation is not as bleak as supervisors have made it seem.

Firing a salvo in what is sure to be a bruising budget battle, hundreds of protesters from a coalition of county labor unions delivered a mock casket to Gov. Pete Wilson’s downtown Los Angeles offices Friday, vowing not to let county supervisors join in the killing of social services.

Before winding up at the state offices, county workers, community activists and social service providers marched through downtown lunch-hour traffic chanting, “They say cutback, we say fight back!”

The county’s 80,000-member work force is facing nearly 10,000 layoffs and $215 million in pay and benefit cutbacks under a $12.3-billion budget tentatively approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this week.

But labor officials, already threatening massive strikes later this summer, said the budget picture is not nearly as bleak as county officials have made it appear.

“We are not convinced that layoffs and service cuts are necessary,” said Gilbert Cedillo, general manager of Local 660 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 30,000 county workers.

“Tell the supervisors not to cut services until they cut the fat they live on,” Cedillo said from the back of flatbed truck parked in front of the county’s Hall of Administration as hundreds of protesters cheered.

The unions called for workers to turn out en masse when the Board of Supervisors opens hearings on the budget July 12.

The county’s budget was hit hard by a state plan to shift $2.6 billion in property tax revenues from local governments to school districts and by the effects of the continuing recession. In all, Los Angeles County tax revenues were cut by $1.6 billion, including $300 million from the state-imposed property tax shift.

Even county Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford, architect of the spending plan, called the budget a disaster.

Cedillo said the coalition of 13 county unions is preparing an alternative budget, which union leaders say can be balanced without slashing county services, the work force or pay and benefits.

In the past, union officials have recommended that the county cut expensive fringe benefits for senior management and elected officials, including liberal pension benefits, $60,000 high-security cars for elected officials and travel allowances.

“There’s no shortage of money,” said Jerry Clyde, president of SEIU Local 535. “What’s wanting is leadership.”

Union leaders said that in ongoing negotiations, the county has proposed eliminating its monthly contribution to workers’ fringe benefits, between $244 and $422 per employee per month, in an attempt to save $215 million annually and help balance the budget.

Union officials also said the county has proposed eliminating its contribution to the employee savings plan and reducing mileage reimbursement.

County officials who were familiar with the negotiations could not be reached Friday.

The $215-million cut would represent an 8.25% pay cut. The Board of Supervisors earlier this week asked 25 department heads to voluntarily forgo a collective $100,000 in cost-of-living raises they are scheduled to automatically receive July 1. Supervisor Gloria Molina is asking all county elected officials and other senior management to voluntarily take a similar 8.25% cut in pay that the rank-and-file workers have been asked to accept.