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Custodians warn against privatization; committee orders multi-department vacancy reviews
Summary
Custodial staff urged the committee not to privatize custodial services and raised staffing and supply shortages. The committee adopted a motion directing 17 departments to report back on vacancies and related information in four cohort hearings; the motion passed as amended.
Several custodial employees and union representatives urged the Personnel and Hiring Committee not to privatize custodial work and described chronic understaffing and supply shortages at Los Angeles facilities.
Joe Martinez, executive board member for SEIU (speaker identified as representing SAU 721 in the transcript), told the committee that the general manager for General Services had sought budget authority to privatize custodial positions in the Valley, which would replace union jobs and remove long-time employees from city work.
"We have people that have been working here for several years, 20, 30 years out here," Martinez said, and said privatization would remove jobs "that are through our community."
Jerry Morales, a custodian in West Valley with 30 years’ service, said morale has declined and staff are shorthanded. "I think it's unfair. We need help. Please help us," Morales said. Salvador Talavera, a 15‑year city custodian at a police station, said crews have too few chemicals and remain short-handed but try to keep facilities safe for the public. Richard Serrano, speaking from experience with prior privatization in Beverly Hills, warned the committee not to rely on private contractors.
After public comment the committee discussed a broader vacancy-review exercise the chair said had been conducted the prior year across 41 departments. Committee members moved to adopt an amended instruction directing coordinated reports from a list of departments and to hear the departments in four cohort sessions grouped by functional similarity.
The motion as amended directed the following departments, in coordination with the CAO and Personnel Department, to report back with requested vacancy and staffing information: City Attorney; City Clerk; CAO; Controller; Information Technology Agency (ITA); Personnel Department; Economic and Workforce Development Department; General Services Department; Department of City Planning; Department of Building and Safety; Los Angeles Housing Department; Emergency Management Department; Los Angeles Fire Department; Los Angeles Police Department; Department of Transportation; Public Works bureaus of Engineering, Street Services, Street Lighting, Construction & Demolition (Con Ad) and Sanitation; and Recreation and Parks. The committee said it would schedule four sessions to hear grouped cohorts.
The clerk called the roll and the motion was approved as amended.
Committee members and staff did not adopt any privatization contracts or awards at the meeting. The action orders information-gathering and hearings intended to identify vacancies and service impacts before further budget or contracting decisions are made.
