Workers From 3 Unions Gather Outside Pond to Protest City Wages
More than 350 city workers demonstrated over contract negotiations at the Pond on Friday as hundreds of Mighty Duck fans arrived for the season opener.
Employees from three of the city’s four labor groups gathered for the protest, with some carrying signs reading “Peanuts to city employees” and others chanting “Anaheim is out of line!”
“We’ve gone approximately five years without a raise,” said Greg O’Brien, a city utilities worker. “We’re not asking for a lot--all we’re asking for is a mediocre raise that doesn’t even meet the cost of living.”
The three labor groups at odds with the city include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 47, Anaheim Firefighters Assn. and Anaheim Municipal Employees Assn.
The firefighters are seeking a 5% raise, and municipal employees want a 2% annual increase.
City spokesman Bret Colson cited fiscal restraints and said the city is “attempting to negotiate with the groups in good faith.”
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