La Mayor Bass Seals Game-Changing Labor Deals To Save Jobs Across The City

LA’s Budget Battle: A Win for Workers

Los Angeles just dodged a major bullet, fam! Mayor Karen Bass stepped up to the plate on Tuesday, signing off on a landmark agreement that’s saving municipal jobs and keeping the city’s heartbeat strong for the 2025-26 fiscal year. We’re talking no furloughs, no more civil service layoffs - a straight-up SoCal comeback after months of intense negotiations with labor unions.

This is big news for the City of Angels, where budget woes had folks sweating. With a deficit looming close to $1 billion, the mayor initially floated a plan back in April to cut over 1,600 jobs due to overspending, crazy liability payouts, disappointing tax revenue, and a shaky economy. But after some serious number-crunching and City Council magic, that number dropped to 600 - and now, thanks to these deals, even those are off the table.

At a City Hall presser, Bass made it clear this wasn’t just a Band-Aid fix. She’s all about pushing LA forward, ditching the old-school fails, and keeping services running smooth from DTLA to the Valley. It’s the kind of hustle you’d expect from a leader navigating a city as dynamic as ours.

Union Power: Behind the Historic Agreement

The unions brought some serious heat to the table, and it paid off. David Green, head honcho at the Service Employees International Union representing around 11,000 city workers, called this deal ‘historic’ - and he’s not wrong. These essential folks handle everything from animal care to wastewater management, and now they’ve got job security while helping boost city revenue.

“We’re standing strong for LA’s working families, especially when national policies and tariffs are hitting our wallets hard - this deal is a lifeline for our frontline heroes,” Green said.

Matthew Maldonado from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 36, repping another 10,000 workers, gave props to city officials and union members for teaming up. Meanwhile, about 250 civilian LAPD positions were on the chopping block, but a slick move by the Los Angeles Police Protective League saved the day - officers are taking overtime as paid time off to cut costs without losing staff.

Creative Cuts and Transfers: How LA Made It Work

So, how’d they pull this off without tanking services? The LA City Coalition of Unions and Engineers and Architects Association agreed to up to five unpaid holidays in 2026, saving another 300 civilian jobs. Plus, some employees are getting shifted to proprietary departments like the Port of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power, and Los Angeles World Airports - these spots run on separate budgets, so they’re not hit by the General Fund drama.

City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo dropped a reassuring update: that $1 billion deficit? It’s history, thanks to the approved 2025-26 budget. The real challenge was figuring out how to make cuts without slashing jobs or services - and with this agreement, they’ve nailed it.

This is LA at its best - gritty, creative, and always finding a way to shine, even when the odds are stacked. From Hollywood to Harbor, the city’s workforce is holding it down, proving once again that nothing stops the West Coast hustle. Keep an eye on how these moves play out as we roll into the next fiscal year!