Staff members from the office of Councilmember Kevin de León are leading an effort to unionize Los Angeles City Council staffers with SEIU Local 721.
De León was one of three councilmembers caught on tape last year taking part in a racist conversation while trying to rig the redistricting process in their favor. The scandal led to the resignation of former Council President Nury Martinez, and led to widespread calls for de León and Gil Cedillo, who had already lost his bid for re-election, to step down as well.
In the ensuing months, de León defied calls to resign, got into a physical altercation with an activist, and survived a failed recall effort. Some of his staffers say they feared they would lose their jobs because of the ordeal.
City Council staffers are one of the last groups of people employed by the city of L.A. who aren’t members of a labor union. Almost universally across California, staff for elected officials are considered at-will employees, which means they can be let go at any time – something de León’s staffers may be hoping to change.
De León told KNX News’ Craig Fiegener he supports the unionization effort.
“I told my staff that I want to support them in every which way possible,” he said. “Because of the audio tapes of last year, a lot of them felt very vulnerable, like the institution itself didn’t stand up and protect them.”
There have been two virtual meetings this week for the union to talk to City Council staffers, and at least one SEIU organizer has been seen in person at City Hall this week. In an email obtained by KNX News, the talks were described as “gaining momentum.”
SEIU Local 721 represents public service workers across Southern California, including over 11,000 in the city of L.A. The union staged a one-day work stoppage in August to protest “repeated labor law violations,” claiming the city refused to bargain with them in good faith.
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