Our Vision for Los Angeles

As City workers, we are committed to winning a fair contract and fixing L.A. by restoring vital services, improving public safety, and ensuring that the finance and corporate giants that city government does business with pay their fair share of revenue. FixLA is urging Mayor Garcetti and the City Council to stand with taxpayers and residents by saying it’s time to fix our streets, not fund Wall Street! Here are some of our top priorities at the negotiating table:

PROTECT MIDDLE CLASS JOBS & HEALTHCARE

REJECT OUTSOURCING: Limit the use of exploitive contractors who offer low pay, low-quality services and less transparency. Recruit and retain a qualified, skilled City workforce through training and MOU protections.

INCREASE PATHWAYS FOR WORKERS TO EARN WORKFORCE BENEFITS: End part-time scheduling to avoid paying benefits. Part-time workers should be assigned at lest 20 hours per week so they earn healthcare, sick leave, and retirement security.

WAGES THAT WORKERS CAN LIVE ON: Require a $15 living wage to reflect practices we want private employers to mirror. When L.A. outsource work, tree specialists, security personnel and others earn as low as $12.16/hr.

RESTORE CITY SERVICES & COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

COMMIT TO RETURN SERVICE TO PRE-CRASH LEVELS: Restore all services to pre-recession levels by 2017 to end threats to health, safety, and quality of life for all L.A. residents.

REBUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS BY CREATING GOOD CITY JOBS: Sewage overflow, crumbling streets, and uncollected trash are not signs of a world-class city. Good city services and good jobs are the foundation of good neighborhoods. The City should restore services through a program of local hire, creating career opportunities for our residents.

MATCH PARK FUNDING LEVELS TO OTHER BIG CITIES: Some 1.8 million residents lack access to green space. Double 5-year spending to improve the environment and quality of life; triple it in 10 years to focus park development in needy areas.

ENSURE PUBLIC & CHILD SAFETY

GET POLICE BACK ON THE BEAT: Many sworn officers were moved to civilian work amid the recession. It costs more, and we are less safe. L.A. must put officers back on the streets and the right workers in the right jobs.

PROTECT KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL: No more deaths! The fatality at Le Conte Middle School after the City denied crossing guard services must be a lesson to the City Council: Hire crossing guards for every middle and elementary school.

RE-OPEN CHILDCARE AND AFTERSCHOOL RECREATION PROGRAMS: 26 of 28 childcare centers and LA Kids, offering safe alternatives to delinquency, have been defunded. Immediately re-open and give working parents peace of mind.

MAKE BANKS & CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE

CLOSE PROPERTY TAX LOOPHOLES: Urge the County to crack down on commercial property owners who use accounting tricks to evade property tax reassessments to recoup millions in city revenue.

RENEGOTIATE OR TERMINATE BAD WALL STREET DEALS: Follow San Francisco’s lead. Initiate transparency controls and get out of toxic swap deals such as Bank of New York Mellon that cost taxpayers with a $130 million price tag.

STOP SADDLING TAXPAYERS WITH FORECLOSURE COSTS: We’ve been picking up the banks’ tab: Over $1 billion. Enforce L.A.’s law to collect fines and require all lenders to shoulder the hefty maintenance costs of foreclosed properties.