In a significant turn of events, nearly 300 city employees in Los Angeles have been spared from layoffs due to recent agreements reached by two major unions.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents over 8,700 rank-and-file officers, has rolled out a voluntary program enabling its members to take unpaid days off in exchange for previously earned overtime hours.
This agreement is crucial, particularly for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), where the potential layoffs could have impacted 222 civilian employees, including clerks and administrative personnel.
While no sworn LAPD officers faced layoffs, some would have needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the civilian workers who would have left.
Mayor Karen Bass expressed optimism about the ongoing negotiations, stating, “We are continuing to do everything we can to bring layoff numbers down and I want everyone to know that we are still working and anticipate this number to get even lower. These numbers are not final.”
In a parallel move, the Engineers and Architects Association, representing about 6,000 workers, has approved a plan allowing its members to voluntarily take up to five unpaid vacation days—effectively furloughs—between January 1 and June 30.
This initiative translates to a potential pay cut of approximately 2%, but it has succeeded in preserving the jobs of 63 members not affiliated with the LAPD, who fulfill roles such as city planners, analysts, and civilian investigators.
Both unions represent various roles within the city; however, the Police Protective League focuses solely on sworn officers, while some affected LAPD civilian employees belong to the Engineers and Architects Association and other unions.
Matt Szabo, the City Administrative Officer overseeing labor negotiations, indicated that the agreements significantly reduced the anticipated layoffs from 360 to just 75.
In a memorandum sent to the city’s personnel department, Szabo has instructed to
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