Note: This is today's breaking news from the Los Cerritos Community News.
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| Cerritos City Council prays before the heated marathon meeting on Thursday night. RrE Photo. |
By Jerry Bernstein and Randy Economy
Los Cerritos Community News
In a heated meeting the Cerritos City Council voted 3-2 to end formal negotiations with the Cerritos Public Employee Union (AFSME Local 619). The vote was split with Mayor Carol Chen, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Edwards and Councilman Bruce Barrows voting to end negotiations and declare an impasse.
Councilmember’s Joseph Cho and Mark Pulido voted to continue negotiations.
The standing room crowd included a few hundred outspoken members of AFSME International, longtime Cerritos residents as well as many current city union employees.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, who offered her services to mediate between the two party’s also chided the City Council for placing other “non significant” agenda items that resulted in a three hour wait before taking up the matter.
At the heart of the negotiations where five items.
Labor leaders accused City management for not continuing “honest” negotiations. The sticking points presented to the city by union leaders included pension increases, retiree health insurance plans, the conducting of a “feasibility study” for a 9/80 compressed work week, and public safety issues at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Also left on the table was employee-sponsored “short term disability insurance program.”
Speaking on behalf of the union, employee Carrie Franco attacked the city’s negotiation tactics and implied that the city controlled the local media to sway public opinion.
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