Los Angeles Social Workers Strike Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the October 16, 1997 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- LOS ANGELES SOCIAL WORKERS STRIKE By Dean Rambeau Los Angeles On Sept. 30, Los Angeles County social workers showed they believed in the strength of their union and went on strike to demand a decrease in their work loads and an increase in their wages. The 3,000 members of Service Employees Local 535 struck with the full support of 40,000 other Service Employees members, ranging from nurses to librarians--to welfare- eligibility workers, who were also prepared to strike. Since Children and Family Services Director Peter Digre was hired, these workers have seen their caseloads steadily increase to more than 25 percent over the stated optimum work load. Meanwhile, the number of new social workers hired has been close to nil. County management has also hampered their ability to perform their jobs with ever-increasing regulations and paper work. Workers say there is less time to pay attention to children in need, often resulting in cursory "drive-by" visits. By the morning of Oct. 1, the strikers were out in force on the picket lines. Placards read "L.A. County Needs A Raise" and "Pay Raise Past Due!" Union negotiators from Local 535 demanded an 8-percent raise over three years, an immediate cut in their caseloads, and at least 300 new workers by the end of the year. Negotiators for Local 660--which represents most county workers--were also at the table. They demanded a 12 percent to 14 percent pay increase over the next three years, job security, and a $10-million retraining fund that the union says is needed in this era of downsizing and so-called welfare reform. Union negotiator Sarah Bottorff made it clear that "pay is not our only issue. We are really concerned about the safety of the children." As could be expected, the effects of the strike were felt immediately. County management tried but failed to handle the enormous caseloads they had placed on the shoulders of capable but overworked workers. The unions only had to strike for two days before Los Angeles County management gave in. By Oct. 2, county officials had agreed to most of the union's demands. It seemed that they had somehow mysteriously overlooked a surplus of county money that could be used to give the workers the pay increases they needed. The bosses also agreed to cut caseloads. But it won't be until the new year that more workers will be hired. Still, this is a major victory--and should be a moral boost for workers in Los Angeles and around the country. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: ww@workers.org. For subscription info send message to: info@workers.org. Web: http://workers.org) ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytlab-10.12.97-22:23:34-529