Labor Votes to Oppose New Charter

The political arm of Los Angeles’ labor movement stunned many supporters of City Charter reform Monday by voting to oppose the effort just weeks after many of the group’s leaders had touted its benefits for organized workers.

The vote by the County Federation of Labor’s Committee on Political Education represented the latest setback for charter reform advocates, who had lobbied hard for labor’s support and believed that they had it. Mayor Richard Riordan and City Atty. James Hahn appeared before the labor group’s board Monday to argue for the charter and left the session believing that the organization either would support it or remain neutral.

Their arguments were countered by a number of City Council members, who after voting to place the charter reform measure on the June ballot have turned against it with increasing vigor. A majority of council members now oppose the charter, and they have leaned on city unions, whose contracts are negotiated by the council, to join in fighting to defeat the measure.

As election day approaches, both sides have been campaigning hard, and charter supporters have seen a number of labor organizations defect to the opposition.

On Monday, labor federation leader Miguel Contreras acknowledged that council lobbying had helped sway organized labor toward opposing the charter. But Contreras, who often is allied with Riordan on major issues, characterized the council’s influence as “more of a carrot than a stick.”

According to Contreras, council members Richard Alatorre, Jackie Goldberg and Ruth Galanter appeared at Monday’s session to argue against the charter. All three have enjoyed labor support for years.

“To paraphrase . . . they said: ‘We’ve been labor’s champion. Trust us on this one,’ ” Contreras said.

The committee’s vote was especially surprising in light of some of the charter provisions that reflect labor’s views.

The charter would require that the city pay a so-called living wage. The city’s current living wage ordinance requires that any major contractor with city business pay workers enough to ensure that they receive more than poverty-level wages, but the new charter would enshrine that language in the charter rather than leave it to ordinances, which are more easily changed.

“Organized labor must think this is a pretty terrible charter for them to vote against it” when it includes living wage language, said Steve Afriat, who is managing the campaign against the charter.

Others attributed the vote less to substance than to pressure.

“I’m deeply disappointed,” elected charter commission Chairman Erwin Chemerinsky said after the vote. “It’s a reflection of the tremendous pressure that the City Council is placing on unions to oppose this charter.”

With just two weeks to go until election day, both sides are gearing up for a quick push to the finish. Riordan’s camp is far better equipped for that run, with advertisements beginning to air and mail about to be sent.

Riordan has said that he hopes to raise and spend $1.5 million on the campaign.

Afriat conceded that fund-raising by the anti-charter forces has gone slower than he hoped, with his group so far having collected about $150,000.

He added that Monday’s labor vote might make it easier to raise money in the coming weeks and said he hopes the campaign will be able to raise at least $300,000, enough for three or four mailers.

Afriat argued that his group can afford to wage a smaller, less expensive campaign and still prevail, partly helped by the support of organized labor.

But Bill Wardlaw, a lawyer who is Riordan’s closest friend and advisor, said the City Council and other opponents represent the status quo that Riordan and his allies are determined to change.

“The City Council with several of their allies decided they wanted business as usual,” Wardlaw said Monday.

“That is clearly not in the best interests of the city of Los Angeles and the working men and women who live here.”