COSTA MESA — The Orange County Employees Association renewed its offer Tuesday to renegotiate with the City to avoid the outsourcing of City services and needless layoffs of more than 100 dedicated employees represented by OCEA and the Costa Mesa City Employees Association.
Incorrectly contending it had no choice, the City Council in March voted 4-1 to send layoff notices to more than 200 employees and outsource their jobs. Since then, OCEA and Costa Mesa employees have repeatedly offered to reopen their contract to help address any legitimate economic challenges the City might face.
This weekend was no different. OCEA General Counsel Don Drozd appeared on the “Today in LA” show Sunday morning and reiterated our offer to come to the bargaining table in good faith as soon as the City Council levels the playing field and rescinds the layoffs.
“We’ve offered on television, we’ve offered on the radio, we’ve offered at Council meetings, we’ve offered in every way we can think of to collaborate with the city,” OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino said. “And this City Council has repeatedly responded with nothing but deafening silence.”
OCEA has a long history of working collaboratively with local government to help shoulder the burden during challenging economic times.
In Costa Mesa, employees have made ongoing sacrifices to preserve quality service for the community during a down economy. Most recently:
- Employees agreed to furlough and close City Hall between Christmas and New Year in 2010 and 2011.
- Employees agreed to pay an additional 5% towards their retirement for a total of 8.52% beginning in March, 2011.
- Employees agreed to create a new retirement tier with a lower pension formula for new employees, 2% at 60.
Shades of Wisconsin.
Some effen fine offer – remove your bargaining power and then we can negotiate.
Fagettaboutit! That is an offer we CAN refuse! No horse heads in the sheets please.
The Costa Mesa City Council does not want to negotiate they just want to publicize a fight on pension reform. The State’s Attorney General is following this story closely because there is talk of corruption and kick-backs (OC Fair Sale) which in the long run will cause Costa Mesa to be a Costa Bell in a New York minute!
There is no correlation between. the City of Bell Nd Costa Mesa. The message is clear in the coast city. Crush the unions and divide the spoils between the business interests of the cronies of the city council. They have no interest in talking. They have no interest in negotiation or debate because they know they cannot win either. Their only hope is to crush the city like a steamroller and hope people forget before the next election. And you know what? They will forget, because they don’t really care. By and large, the average person soes not want ro be bothered with how you government runs. They only care when they get a ticket or hit a pothole. So, unless the union dights, the council will merrily lead the citizen lambs to slaughter.
To recind the lay-offs would only give the unions time for a re-call. It will never happen.
If the union really cared about its members, it would ask them to vote on whether to open negoations without requiring the City of rescind the notices. It expect the employees would rather have their jobs.