Throughout the state, local unions have worked with cities to save jobs and continue to provide quality services.
But in Costa Mesa, Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilman Jim Righeimer — who were the forces behind anti-union Props 226 and 75 – met in secret as a two-man working group to hatch their latest scheme. In a purely political move, they rushed the City Council into sending layoff notices to 213 of the City’s 472 workers, including firefighters, maintenance workers and jail staff.
Despite their own studies showing this misguided agenda will cost taxpayers more for outsourced services, Monahan and Righeimer chose politics over facts. Their anti-union actions were cheered by the Chair of the Orange County Republican Party who called Costa Mesa “Ground Zero” in a plot to roll back workers wages, rights and protections.
The right-wing’s plan is to break the backs of unions, city by city, up and down the state. They want to make Costa Mesa the next Wisconsin.
But the people of Costa Mesa have called for an end to the political games. According to a recent survey, the City Council’s outsourcing plan is opposed by nearly three out of five voters (59% of likely voters).
Joel Flores, a longtime Costa Mesa resident, told the City Council:
I'm here to say that your publicity stunt isn't going to work. It isn't going to work because the citizens of Costa Mesa are onto you and your schemes!
Monahan and Righeimer want to outsource City services, no matter the cost, as part of their plan to attack workers and become a model for right-wing activists throughout the nation.?Their scheme has nothing to do with balancing the budget. It’s a political move to bust unions.
Unions in Orange County, public and private are fighting back. Working with the citizens of Costa Mesa, they are saying no to Jim Righeimer and his anti-worker schemes. The tax payers of Costa Mesa are standing shoulder to shoulder with those workers who have served the city with honor and bravery. I ask all workers in California to stand with them as well.
