Chick Opposes More City Employee Raises

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick said Thursday that although she voted to give city water and power employees a raise, she would oppose other requests this fiscal year for city employee pay increases.

“I feel fervently, strongly, that this is not the year to give salary increases for any employees,” Chick said at a breakfast meeting with a Jewish business group in Woodland Hills.

Chick’s hard stance on further raises comes as the city’s police union tries to pressure the city to offer the union the same 9% salary increase given in September to employees of the Department of Water and Power.

Her position may have also tarnished her image with police, who have counted her as an ally in their fight for more support from City Hall.

“That really disappoints me coming from her,” said David Zeigler, president of the 7,500-member Police Protective League, which recently featured Chick as council member of the month in its newsletter. “I just hate having her say that and cause a negative impact with the membership.”

Following the meeting, a Chick spokeswoman said the councilwoman’s comments do not mean she does not support the department, but simply that the city cannot afford further increases. The city faces a projected $200-million deficit in the next fiscal year.

Chick, whose district includes parts of the west San Fernando Valley, said in a previous interview that she felt she erred in voting to give striking DWP workers a 9% raise over the next three years.

At her appearance before the Valley Jewish Business Leaders Assn., Chick said she was initially opposed to the increase but felt pressured to support the raise to end a strike by DWP workers that threatened water and power services to residents.

“We were put in a corner,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean we have to give another increase.”

Chick’s comments echoed those of Mayor Richard Riordan, who said Tuesday that the DWP raise was “a mistake,” because it set a precedent for wage demands by other employees.