Secession and LA City Workers

Hosted by
If Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley breakaway from Los Angeles, what would happen to the salaries, health insurance and the jobs of city workers? Secession advocates say not to worry. But 31 percent of voters in last year's mayoral election came from union households, and with 35,000 employees, organized labor has serious clout in LA politics. We hear about union leaders' big campaign against secession, why they oppose the break up, and how secessionists respond. Julie Butcher is General Manager of Local 347 of the Services Employees International Union, which represents 9,000 of LA's 35,000 workers. Studio City attorney David Fleming is chairman of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Distribution of Free Radiation Pills
    California has agreed to accept potassium iodide pills from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But with no decision on how to distribute the free pills, residents near the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant are worried that a terrorist attack could release radiation into their neighborhood. We hear from a worried resident an Orange County Health Agency doctor who's a member of the state task force that's formulating a plan.

City of Los Angeles

Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley

LAFCO

SEIU, Local 347

Anbex

California Office of Emergency Services

Physicians for Social Responsibility

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton