By Christina Villacorte
The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
LOS ANGELES — Aware the economy hasn’t completely recovered from the recession, 17,500 of Los Angeles County’s first responders and other employees agreed to forgo pay increases for the fourth year in a row under labor deals signed Tuesday.
Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, lifeguards, probation officers and investigators with the Public Defender’s Office all agreed not to receive raises or cost of living increases through the end of 2012, when the contract expires.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said their willingness to “sacrifice” during lean years has allowed the county to avoid layoffs and furloughs.
“One of the reasons we are in relatively — and I emphasize ‘relatively’ — better shape than most municipal governments around the state, and the state itself, is this unique and very healthy partnership we’ve had with labor,” he said.
Supervisor Gloria Molina vowed the board would remember the unions’ actions and respond accordingly when the economy improves.
Avoiding layoffs and furloughs has enabled the county to continue to provide services, said Supervisor Don Knabe.
“We’re the ultimate safety net for the citizens of this county,” he said.
“There’s no way we could do it as a board without the cooperation of our labor partners.”
The deals cover certain members of the AFL-CIO, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and Professional Peace Officers Association, Association of Public Defender Investigators, Los Angeles County Fire Lifeguard Association, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
County employees did receive an increase in their health benefits last year, to adjust for inflation.
The county has a better relationship with its labor unions than the city of Los Angeles has with its own workers.
Last week, city employees rejected City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana’s appeal to postpone — again — pay increases that city leaders had promised years before.
Since the height of the recession, city employees have been deferring pay increases and increasing their pension contributions to avoid mass layoffs.
Last year, the city agreed to finally make good on those pay increases.
Last week, however, Santana sent out a letter asking for another delay.
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