CALIFORNIA BRIEFING
Los Angeles County officials announced Wednesday that they reached a two-year agreement with 90,000 unionized workers that avoids layoffs but also provides no wage increases.
“Our union partners stepped up and recognized the shared sacrifice we are all in right now,” Supervisor Don Knabe said in a prepared statement.
“Los Angeles County is in difficult financial times, between diminishing tax revenue from the local economy and round after round of funding hits from the state of California. We are all in this together as we weather this economic storm,” the county supervisor said.
Still, total labor costs will increase after county officials agreed to pay nearly all health insurance increases.
Los Angeles County Chief Executive William T Fujioka said the cost for county health insurance plans is expected to increase by 9% in 2010, and the county contribution will increase by 8%.
He was unable to immediately provide a dollar figure for the resulting cost to taxpayers.
Los Angeles County is the region’s largest employer.
-- Garrett Therolf
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