Los Angeles began its new fiscal year Thursday by ending the jobs of some 190 employees. More layoffs may be in the offing.
Another 232 workers are also expecting pink slips in the mail.
The layoffs took place despite a last-minute attempt by three city council members to delay them.
Aside from Thursday’s layoffs, thousands of Los Angeles workers will be facing furloughs in the months ahead.
The city budget is in the red. The layoffs will save the city $24 million to start.
The workers who lost their jobs today include 100 library staffers, 70 childcare workers and 30 recreation coordinators and park rangers.
Los Angeles is also reducing the days and hours libraries will be open and some of the city operated childcare centers will be closed.
The city council passed and the mayor signed a $6.7 billion budget.
It could lead to the loss of up to 761 jobs if the city’s unions do not make concessions and this could go up to 1,000 layoffs in October if Los Angeles revenues fall short of projections.
And there’s a catch in all this.
Under the city’s contract with its coalition of unions, if the city lays off any member of the coalition, it must give the remaining members a 5.75 percent pay raise.
This would cost the city $27 million.
The city will make up for the raise by forcing the workers to take unpaid days off -- thereby slashing their salaries by 10 percent.
