Carson’s Union Workers Seeking New Contract

Already struggling with a municipal corruption scandal that has depleted its City Council, the South Bay city of Carson has one more issue to deal with: disgruntled employees who have been working without a contract for eight months.

For the last two weeks, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have sporadically picketed outside City Hall. It is the first time since 1985 that the union has picketed.

The union is the largest of five employee bargaining units in Carson and represents about 270 full-time employees, including bus drivers, code enforcement officers and janitors.

The union workers are seeking, among other things, a 3.5% raise and changes to the retirement system that would allow full-time employees to use previous part-time hours toward a pension.

The city made an offer, on Jan. 30, featuring what union officials said was a 2.8% raise and a proposal that employees share in health insurance costs. City Manager Jerry Groomes confirmed those terms.

“We’ve been ready to make a deal for a while now,” he said. “It was a comprehensive and substantial agreement that would have benefited all of AFSCME.” But the union turned it down, he said.

On Tuesday, 110 union members walked along Avalon Boulevard and Carson Street blowing whistles and rousing support from passersby before going into a City Council meeting to push for a better offer.

Pete Schnaufer, the union’s business agent, received a resounding applause at the meeting when he stood up shaking his fists and said: “Our people don’t want to retire poor.”

The retirement program he’s seeking would allow full-time employees to invest in a retirement purse for time they accumulated as part-time workers. Long Beach and Cerritos have similar programs, which union officials said would cost the city nothing.

Mayor Daryl Sweeney responded that he had not seen any documentation from the union regarding cost. The council took no action Tuesday, but union officials expect negotiations will resume next week.

The contract troubles are taking place against a backdrop of a lengthy federal corruption scandal that resulted in two of the council’s five members pleading guilty last year and resigning their posts. Sweeney, also charged in the case, has declared his innocence and insisted he’ll stay on the council while he prepares for his trial.

Unable to muster a three-member quorum, the council did not meet from Oct. 15 to Jan. 21.

“We weren’t getting anything done,” said City Treasurer Karen Avilla.

Councilman Jim Dear said the corruption scandal has posed a “major distraction,” adding that frequently canceling meetings is “no way to run a city.”

Although the scandal may have prolonged a contract settlement, the contract was an issue long before the three-month lag in council activity, said Nathan Williams, union president.

“It seems the city of Carson hates its employees,” he said.

Groomes said he was offended by the allegation and disputed contentions that the city does not appreciate its employees.

“You don’t insult those that are working for you,” Groomes said. “It’s unfortunate that the picture gets painted in adversarial circumstances.”

Groomes said what the union wants would cost the city millions more than what it is already offering.

The city is even considering a one-year deal, instead of the usual three-year contract, so it won’t overextend itself, he said.

“At some point, you have to do the responsible thing,” Groomes said.

A survey the union cites showing Carson workers are paid less than their counterparts is outdated, and a new one is being undertaken, Groomes added.

But it’s not just the pay that concerns union leaders.

“It’s not so much do we get a pay raise but an issue of quality of life,” said James Wightman, a union board member. “I don’t think anyone wants to get out there and picket.”