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The links below connect you to important information about recent events, initiatives and other happenings involving Labor Relations.

ARTICLE	POSTED

Stockton officially files for Chapter 9 STOCKTON - The city filed its petition for bankruptcy protection with a Sacramento federal court on Thursday, marking the official beginning of Stockton's Chapter 9 case... LINK -www.recordnet.com	June 29, 2012
Fresno City Council cuts electrical workers' wages The Fresno City Council on Thursday took the rare step of forcing wage cuts on electrical workers, a move that could become increasingly common as the city seeks to shore up its troubled finances... LINK -www.fresnobee.com	June 28, 2012
Newport OKs agreement on police pensions, salaries NEWPORT BEACH — The city and the Newport Beach Police Association have reached an agreement that will increase police officer's contribution to their pensions, saving the city money in the future while costing the city $205,000 for the next two years... LINK -www.ocregister.com	June 27, 2012
From San Diego to the Bay: California Voters Love Pension Reform, but it's Not as Simple as it Looks for Public Employers Two pension reform ballot measures were overwhelmingly passed by voters in San Diego and San Jose last week. Now, other cities, counties and districts in California that participate in CalPERS or STRS, or maintain a ’37 Act system are asking, “can we do the same thing?” The short answer is, “no,” at least not at the local level... LINK -calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com	June 12, 2012
Palo Alto signs new deal with police union The nine-month standoff between Palo Alto and its police union came to an end early Tuesday morning when the City Council approved a new contract that imposes benefit reductions on the 82-member union... LINK -paloaltoonline.com	May 15, 2012
Ballot-box pension reform wins first court test A superior court judge this month upheld a voter-approved initiative giving lower pensions to all city of Menlo Park new hires except police, the first court ruling as unions challenge similar measures in Pacific Grove and Bakersfield... LINK -calpensions.com	May 14, 2012
Gov. Brown: $8B in cuts, tax hikes needed to close $16B budget gap SACRAMENTO - California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday proposed more than $8 billion in cuts to close a widening California budget deficit but also said public schools will receive more money if voters approve his tax-hike initiative in November... LINK -contracostatimes.com	May 14, 2012
Claremont police, city approve three-year contract CLAREMONT - A three-year salary and benefits agreement has been approved between the city and the Claremont Police Officers Association. The new contract ends months of contentiousness. The city declared negotiations to be at an impasse in late August, and union members on April 11 turned down by a single vote an earlier agreement, forcing additional negotiations... LINK -dailybulletin.com	May 9, 2012
Specter of bankruptcy raised in L.A. Offering a dire warning about potential bankruptcy, Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said Friday the city will need to raise taxes, clamp down on employee pay and consider layoffs in order to keep solvent. LINK-dailynews.com	April 6, 2012
Retirement Reform II: Beyond the Easy Stuff If you were to believe recent legislative reports chronicling "action" on pension reform, you would think America's states and cities had the problem almost whipped. According to the latest tally by the National Conference of State Legislatures, 43 states have now adopted some kind of pension reform since 2009. With all that activity in the state capitols, the average Joe must wonder why there is so much noise from reformers about a "public pension apocalypse." LINK-governing.com	April 5, 2012
Mayor: Layoffs, pension pressure loom Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa dropped the equivalent of a budget bombshell this week, raising the possibility of additional layoffs and calling on city unions for more pension reforms. "We were shocked and dismayed," said Victor Gordo, a member of the Coalition of L.A. City Unions. "We are particularly disappointed that the mayor has been more busy running for his next job than he has been in running the city." LINK-dailynews.com	March 30, 2012
Deal would roll back new worker pensions, raise pay The Board of Supervisors and two of Kern County's public safety unions are poised to end a more than 1 1/2-year contract stalemate with a compromise that reduces pension benefits for new workers but also ends supervisors' hard-line opposition to new raises. LINK-bakersfieldcalifornian.com	February 16, 2012
RIVERSIDE: New police contract projected to save millions Riverside officials have hammered out a new contract with the city’s police union, the last major employee group to agree to money-saving pension changes. LINK-PE.com	February 13, 2012
CORONA: Fire Department adjusts for cuts Some Corona residents could be waiting longer for backup responses to structure fires and ultimately see more property damage after budget cuts to the department have left fewer firefighters and eliminated one fire truck. LINK-PE.Com	February 8, 2012
AV laying off 3 people in wake of RDA dissolution APPLE VALLEY • The town suffered its first casualty of redevelopment dissolution when officials announced Tuesday that three employees — including Ken Henderson, assistant town manager of Economic and Community Development — are being laid off... LINK-VVDailypress.com	February 7, 2012
UPDATED: LB to lay off 48 employees in wake of RDA decision LONG BEACH - About 48 employees in the city's Redevelopment and Housing Services Bureaus and other related positions will be laid off within the next month, a top official said Wednesday... LINK-Press-Telegram.com	February 2, 2012
Villaraigosa delays payment of $100 million in personnel costs Police overtime, unused sick time, agreed-upon wage hikes and an early retirement program are not going to be paid until after the mayor leaves office. Despite critics, the strategy is supported by most on the City Council... LINK-LATimes.com	January 3, 2012
South Pasadena City Council implements contract with Police Officers Association SOUTH PASADENA - At a special meeting Monday, the City Council approved a unilateral implementation of 2011-2012 terms and conditions for the Police Officers' Association... LINK-Pasadenastarnews.com	December 21, 2011
Public safety unions take pension fight to Newport Beach residents Union officials in Newport Beach are trying to rally support from residents after city officials have asked employees to contribute more to their pension funds. As police, firefighter and lifeguard contracts expire at the end of the month, union officials sought to rally residents with a mailer last week. City administrators, meanwhile, countered with an open letter explaining why they think employees should pay more toward their retirements... LINK-LATimes.com	December 6, 2011
Public Safety Deals Offer Santa Ana a Way Out of Crisis A proposal to outsource firefighting in Santa Ana and potential deals with the city's police and service employees could eliminate most of the city's projected $30-million budget deficit for next fiscal year, the first tangible solution since city leaders acknowledged the crisis in September... LINK-Voiceofoc.org	December 3, 2011
Fresno city says pay cuts only way to balance budget Fresno City Manager Mark Scott is again asking city employees to accept a pay cut and contribute more toward their health insurance to help fix the budget. "Despite painful downsizing that has already occurred, we are not operating a sustainable enterprise," Scott wrote in a long email sent Thursday to the city's approximately 3,100 employees... LINK-Fresnobee.com	December 2, 2011
Cash-strapped cities want workers to contribute more to pensions As Gov. Jerry Brown calls for sweeping reforms in public-employee pensions, cities such as Santa Ana demand concessions from their employee unions... LINK-LATimes.com	November 27, 2011
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Supervisors consider paying toward their pensions Riverside County supervisors Tuesday will take up a measure requiring all county elected officials and management to pay their own retirement contributions... LINK-PE.com	November 13, 2011
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Union members challenge supervisors at meeting Members of one of Riverside County’s largest employee unions had a message to send this week to supervisors: The workers are hurting financially and do not want additional pay cuts... LINK-PE.com	November 9, 2011
Pension initiative faces two tests: funding, courts A pension reform group that filed two versions of an initiative yesterday faces two tests: raising $3 million to place the proposal on the November ballot next year, and a court battle over making current workers pay more for their pensions if the measure passes... LINK-Calpensions.com	November 3, 2011
Calif. cities take pension reform to the ballot SACRAMENTO, Calif.—San Francisco's public pension system took a beating during the recession, which has left it carrying a hefty unfunded liability for its 26,000 current and 28,000 retired employees. The city's pension obligation is growing by $100 million a year, leaving less funding for police and fire protection, park maintenance and health services for the needy... LINK- MercuryNews.com	October 29, 2011
INLAND: LAO calls pension plan excellent start California’s nonpartisan legislative analyst praised Gov. Jerry Brown’s pension plan Thursday and said it deserves consideration by the Legislature. “I thought it knocked the ball out of the park,” Mac Taylor, who heads the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said during a lecture series at his alma mater, UC Riverside. “I think it is an excellent start.”... LINK- PE.com	October 27, 2011
STATE: Brown proposes hybrid pension plan SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled details of his pension proposal Thursday that seeks to move new California state workers to a hybrid system where guaranteed benefits are combined with a 401(k)-style plan and would raise the retirement age from 55 to 67 for civil workers, as union leaders lined up to oppose his plans... LINK PE.com	October 27, 2011
City of Long Beach, Two Public Safety Unions Reach Agreement The City of Long Beach recently completed negotiating a new contract with the Long Beach Firefighters Association, which followed the approval last month of a revised agreement with the Long Beach Police Officers Association. Both of these contracts had several more years left to run, and the City is fortunate that both labor organizations were willing to accept reductions in the middle of the contact... LINK Publicceo.com	October 18, 2011
Redding council reaches deals with unions The Redding City Council approved a pair of deals Tuesday with local firefighter and electric worker unions. Council members unanimously approved concessions from the Redding Professional Firefighters Local 1934 that are estimated to save $2.5 million over six years. The council thanked the firefighters, recognizing the union didn't have to make any offer as the contract would have stayed in effect until 2014... LINK Redding.com	September 20, 2011
Long Beach council approves groundbreaking pension reform LONG BEACH — The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a labor agreement significantly reforming police pensions. Most immediately, it is anticipated to save at least $16.6 million through fiscal year 2016 and may lead to hiring new officers in the coming years. The deal also extends the police contract two years, to 2016... LINK -Presstelegram.com	September 20, 2011
City, Santa Cruz service worker union reach tentative pact SANTA CRUZ -- City and union officials have reached a tentative, two-year contract agreement covering service workers, Santa Cruz's largest and lowest-paid labor group. The two sides would not disclose specific details Monday other than the pact contains furloughs in the short term and greater employee shares of retirement and health care costs down the road... LINK -SantaCruzSentinel.com	August 30, 2011
Pension reform: Easier said than done A bill for a public pension reform advocated by Gov. Brown, and a commission appointed by former Gov. Schwarzenegger, has a labor sponsor, no formal opposition and therefore smooth sailing in the Legislature, right? Not exactly... LINK -CapitolWeekly.net	August 29, 2011
UPDATED: Long Beach police union votes for pension reform LONG BEACH — The city and its police union have reached a tentative budget-saving pension reform agreement. Officials of both groups announced the deal late Wednesday. With Long Beach facing a projected $20.3 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2012, city officials are proposing to cut $9.4 million from the Police Department, including 32 sworn police officer positions, with 14 coming from patrol divisions... LINK -presstelegram.com	August 25, 2011
Capitol Alert: Group suggests using police power to alter pensions A non-profit policy institute out of Kansas says that the U.S. Constitution does not prevent a state from rolling back pension benefits for current employees... LINK -Fresnobee.com	July 15, 2011
MURRIETA: Police agree to wait for pay raises Murrieta police officers have agreed to wait an additional six months for their already-delayed pay raises as the city continues to tighten its budget. The move will save Murrieta almost $177,000, a city report states... LINK - PE.com	June 30, 2011
San Francisco's pension smackdown FORTUNE -- Michael Moritz and I are sipping dry white wine on a mild spring evening at his palatial home in the tony Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. As I take in the expansive view of the city and the gorgeous contents of his living room -- walls chock full of contemporary art, a grand piano anchoring the space -- I'm trying to work out why the famed Silicon Valley venture capitalist is engaged in a public-policy fight not only with the city's labor unions but also with a fellow San Francisco billionaire, private equity big shot Warren Hellman... LINK - Fortune.com	June 2, 2011
Two L.A. city unions accept employee concessions Two of the four employee groups that rejected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan for worker concessions last month have ratified it on the second go-round – sparing them from dozens of unpaid days off in the coming year... LINK - latimes.com	May 27, 2011
Sheriff's union imposed contract includes pay, benefits cuts Riverside County declared an impasse last week with the Riverside Sheriff's Association and will impose contract terms on the union starting June 2... LINK - PE.com	May 25, 2011
California cuts $170M from pension fund payment SACRAMENTO -- California's largest public employee pension fund on Wednesday cut $170 million from the amount the state must pay in the next year toward retirement benefits, mostly because new union contracts shift some of the costs to state workers. The new labor pacts have employees contribute more to their pensions... LINK - mercurynews.com	May 19, 2011
Sheriff Mulling Massive Layoffs For Next Fiscal Year To Balance CEO Proposed Budget Sheriff’s Administration has been planning a variety of scenarios in order to deal with very deep budget cuts for the next fiscal year starting this July. On April 4th, the Sheriff addressed the Board of Supervisors after the previous week's budget hearings and outlined that Sheriff’s operations across the county would be “cratered” if the CEO’s recommended budget for the Sheriff was approved by the Board in mid-June before the start of the next fiscal year... LINK - RiversideSheriff.org	May 13, 2011
Labor agreements cut state CalPERS rate again New labor contracts that take a bigger bite out of state worker paychecks to help pay for their future pensions could help lower the annual state payment to CalPERS for a second year, dropping $169.8 million to $3.5 billion. The new rate in a report prepared by CalPERS actuaries for a board meeting next week is lower than the $4.1 billion payment expected in the state budget Gov. Brown proposed in January... LINK - Calpensions.com	May 11, 2011
Pension fiddling California's county pension systems need stronger medicine than the mild reforms proposed by AB 340. The bill offers some good ideas, but falls short of curbing abuses in county pension plans. Legislators should craft more stringent safeguards to curtail excesses and protect taxpayers. AB 340, by Assemblyman Warren Furutani, D-Long Beach, would limit what compensation could count toward county pension calculations... LINK - PE.com	May 10, 2011
REDLANDS: Closing budget gap could cost 19 jobs Efforts to close a $3.9 million budget gap may cost 19 Redlands employees their jobs, City Manager N. Enrique Martinez said Monday. His 2011-12 budget proposal includes numerous other cuts, including reducing equipment purchases for the police and fire departments and closing City Hall between Christmas and New Year's, Martinez said. The plan has been presented to the City Council's budget committee, comprised of Councilmen Jerry Bean and Bob Gardner... LINK - PE.com	May 9, 2011
City saves $323 million on retiree health care The city of San Diego's leaders signed off on a tentative agreement Friday with labor unions that they say would shave $323 million off a $1.1 billion shortfall in money needed longterm to pay lifetime health care for retired city workers. The City Council voted 6-2 in closed session to authorize Mayor Jerry Sanders to move forward with the proposed deal he has spent months negotiating with labor... LINK - SignOnSanDiego.com	May 6, 2011
RIVERSIDE: Officials plan for two redevelopment outcomes Riverside officials are planning for two scenarios -- one that would wrap up current redevelopment projects over the next two years and shrink the development staff that handles those projects, and another that would finish a dismantling of the redevelopment agency that has already begun... LINK - PE.com	April 26, 2011
RIVERSIDE: City will cut development budget and jobs Riverside will cut $6.5 million and nearly 40 percent of the jobs from its development department because of expected state-level reforms to redevelopment, city officials said... LINK - PE.com	April 24, 2011
Employee Pensions May Cripple the City’s Finances Millbrae’s continuous underfunding of city employee pensions may jeopardize its future economic stability. The city formally began budget talks yesterday for the 2011-2012 fiscal year and officials expect no drastic layoffs or cuts in services in the next year. But, if the city does not rein in ballooning pension costs, it may face dire consequences in the next decade... LINK - MILLBRAE.PATCH.com	April 20, 2011
Board moves forward with two-tier benefit plan Napa County is one step closer to rolling out pension reform for its public safety employees. On Tuesday, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved a resolution of intent to modify the retirement benefits given to safety employees hired after May 14, 2011... LINK - NAPAVALLEYREGISTER.com	April 18, 2011
Pension duty Riverside's switch to a cheaper pension plan for some new employees is a good start, but the city needs to do more to slow the rapid acceleration of retirement costs. The City Council should expand the savings to cover all new hires, and make changes that cut the expense of existing workers' pensions, as well... LINK - PE.com	April 17, 2011
Newport Beach may lay off workers to reduce pension obligations In a move to stave off rising pension costs and save money for capital improvement projects, Newport Beach officials may lay off 25 workers and eliminate 30 vacant positions... LINK - LATIMES.com	April 11, 2010

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