Black Workers: How the LA City Charter Could Make City Jobs More Equitable withthe LABWC's Ariel Moore

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J BLA Talk fifteen eighty. Good morning, Good morning, and
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God bless I'm Dominic Daprima. This show is called First
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Things First, and my first thing every day is prayer, given, thanksgiving, praises,
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and asking for blessings from God, asking for the blessings
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of the ancestors and the elders. And let's go, let's go.
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It's a think tank Thursday. I had a sudden, sudden
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urge to be a kindergarten teacher. Okay, let's all put
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on our thinking caps because it's think tank Thursday and
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we're in the middle of a mind numbing talking point mirage,
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a zone flooding that requires us to tap back in
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with our own individual heads and use them for what
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God asked us to use them for, which is to
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think for ourselves. Huh So, anyway, this is how we
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do things on a think tank Thursday. Our one. We
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look local, what's going on on the left coast side
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of town our too, We go national, international, and beyond
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third hour, we do a deep dive with a person
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or persons of interest, a hot topic, et cetera, et cetera.
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We are on task today with all of that and
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looking forward to these conversations. We'll be joined in hour
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three by Paris McCoy of tech Lamert. I wanted to
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talk a little bit about all the tech implications of
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what's going on in today's headlines, which are many, right
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from ice to war. Technology is playing an outsized role
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and we need to know about it. So we'll do that,
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opening up the phone lines every hour as usual at
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eight hundred and nine two fifteen eighty, eight hundred and
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nine to twoh fifteen eighty. You are welcome in. You
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are invited into the YouTube stream. We stream at KBLA
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fifteen eighty every weekday morning, and the comments section is
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a whole vibe. You have got to be there to
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know it, as Tupa would say, and just go see
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what's happening because they have a lot of knowledge in there,
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so it's like you're getting a multi level information during
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the show, which I love a lot. And if you
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missed any conversations, we had one yesterday with Attorney Ben Crump,
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but we have great combos every day. You can find
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them all on YouTube where they live or wherever you
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get your pods. We are there as well. Just you know,
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first things first, with Dominique de prima. You know how
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to find me. I realized that yesterday a couple people
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hunted me down like y'all act like you don't know,
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but when you need me, you know how to find me.
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So we got a lot to talk about, and that
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is a great, great thing. Thank you to everybody who
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came out to Friday's tribute to Jesse Jackson. We will
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be streaming live his homegoing services tomorrow, starting in whenever
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they start in the middle of this show until whenever
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they finish. So that's you know. I'm really quite thankful
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for the way that KBLA has taken on the role
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of stepping up and showing love to those who deserve
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to be honored. And we are going to continue doing
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just that right now though we have a special guest
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in the studio. Time to look what's going on around here,
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and in some ways I think informative about what a
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lot of cities need to be addressing, a lot of
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counties need to be addressing about how we do what
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we do in light of all of these encroachments on
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our rights. How are we setting up the framework for
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our own governance. She is a campaign coordinate coordinator for
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the LA Black Orker Center. She works on everything from
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abolitionist reforms to fighting for legislation to and prison profiteering.
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Welcome back, Aeriel Moore.
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Thank you so much for having me, Dominique.
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Yeah, thanks for coming. So LA City Charter has become
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kind of a big mission for the LA Black Workers Center,
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And obviously when you hear LA Black Worker Center, it's
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kind of in the name fighting for jobs for black
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workers in La. A shame that we have to fight
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for them, but we do. Yeah, but what we don't
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immediately think of is city governance charter reform. And I
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think you explained this last time, but break it down again, Ariel.
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Why are the LA Black Workers rolling on these charter
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commission meetings and sparing, you know, sparing no detail here. Yeah.
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So, the best kept secret of a lot of municipalities
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is the charter. The charter is the city's constitution, and
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in many cases, in LA's case in particular, the original
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a charter was made over a century ago, and to
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think about what LA looked like at that time, it
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certainly was not.
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Made whoa wa wa wa white. It certainly was.
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Not made with black workers or black people in mind.
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And so the charter. Is this really exciting opportunity from
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Mayor Bass? That started as like the best kept secret.
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It was only city governance and local officials who were
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attending these meetings, and then myself in Trina Traylor, who's
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the campaign and coalition manager at LABWC, happened to attend
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one and I realized, wait, this is our opening, this
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is our opportunity to put workforce, equity and the charter.
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We have a list of six recommendations and we have
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really gained a lot of momentum since I was here
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last I'm excited to report.
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Yay, and I can't wait to hear about that momentum.
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We've got an hour so we can unpack this. But
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because charter reform is not something we obsess about as individuals,
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I just want to make sure we're thorough in helping
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folks understand it. You made it really plain. The city's
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constitution is called the city Charter. That is basically the
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rules of how our city is run.
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Right right, And in our city Charter specifically, what we're
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focusing on is civil service rules and personnel and what
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does that even mean? Great question. So the Pendleton Act,
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which happened in the seventeen hundreds. Interesting enough, right after
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the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to be racist.
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So this is during the Reconstruction era.
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It was.
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The Pendleton Act is a federal law that dictates how
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civil service works. Its intention was to make sure that
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nepotism or you know, basically that merit was the criteria
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for which individuals were being hired. But what we know
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is that merit is a dog whistle for not black,
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and it dictates both the federal level as well as
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the state level and the cities. And so what it
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means is that the most talented individuals can get the job.
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How LA interprets that is outdated tests. How they interpret
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it is a list of five and so the five
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people who get the highest scores are the people who
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are guaranteed interviews. And it also looks like tests that
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have no nothing to do with the actual job that
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you're applying.
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For, kind of like your poll tax type tests, exactly
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like your pull tax i count the jellybeans and the
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jar type tests. Right, So our charter is what you're
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alleging is that our charter is basically still tied to
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this Pendleton Act and the standards and practices that were
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put in place to gatekeep in the seventeen hundredths very much.
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So yes, whoops, sorry about that. So when you say
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civil service, you're talking about the rules to work for
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the city. Yes, it sounds like something much bigger and
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grander than that. But has had to get a job
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in the city of La.
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How to get a job in the city of la
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And then what are the protections that come with that job?
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And then beat them good jobs that Grandma used to
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talk about, right exactly, which are actually careers? Right?
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And what the city is really at really conjuncture because
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all of the workforce is getting older, they're retiring.
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Well yeah, that's kind of a given a. I know
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you're like very very young, so but yeah, the people
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are getting older. But but not to be funny, in reality,
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the boomer generation is aging fast and it's a humongous
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cohort of people.
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Yes, except one of the biggest demographics. And the rules
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were different then, I mean they were the same, but
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there were a lot more I guess there were during
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the sixties or in the seventies. There's a lot more
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intentionality around diversity and inclusion. And now that's a dirty
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word and so the rules have changed, they're retiring, there's
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no one to replace the workforce. And if the rules
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don't change now during this charter reform or within the
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next five years, then it's very likely that civil service
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will cease to exist because there won't be a workforce.
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I doubt that's gonna happen. Maybe it'll they'll all be
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bots secretly driven by people in the Philippines and owned
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by Elon Musk. Who knows. But we're going to stop
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that from happening, and we'll find out how when we
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come forward on KBLA Talk fifteen eighty. Right now, we're
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back to me, We're back to Ariel More with the
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La Black Workers Center, and we're back to this LA
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City Charter. Okay, So we kind of did the basics
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because I think we have to do that every time,
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because I do this every day and I'm not going
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to lie. I hardly ever think about the city Charter.
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I think about things that would be affected by the
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city Charter, but I don't necessarily connect those dots. So
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now the LA Black Workers Center has tasked itself with
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focusing on civil service, which is the jobs piece of
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our LA City constitution. You already mentioned how and we
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talked about this last time you came on, how these
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tests and little gatekeeper procedures, Yeah, are in place that
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do tend to keep black workers out.
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Exactly.
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You just mentioned something we hadn't really reflected on, which
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is the fact that the boomer are retiring, the Boomer
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generation getting old. Yeah, and they are one, two, three,
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four five, going home as they should to sit down
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and do whatever they go and do. Hopefully they have
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nice retirement plan. But who goes in to those jobs?
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You said maybe there won't be civil servants. I doubt that.
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I think they'll you know, they'll probably import people from
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other places who aren't black to work those jobs unless
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we make changes. That's me speculating, but it's me speculating
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based on history of watching how things go down.
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You're not wrong. I would refer to that as like
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the process of austerity, and then that I would say
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also though, that that means that civil service has been
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undermined and it no longer functions how it's supposed to,
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because those jobs won't have good benefits, those jobs won't
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have the same testing mechanisms. When they contract out, they're
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actually able to avoid all of the rules that are
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gatekeeping us.
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I see what you're saying, contracting them out rather than
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importing workers from somewhere else. But I'm just saying that
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also based on what we've seen in the fire department
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and other places where they've got people living in other
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states who are drawing benefits and not just benefits because
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you can retire to another state that's your business, but
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still working here. And when there's people in this city
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that need jobs and have to be able to afford
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the housing here in la which ain't no small matter.
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You're right, So how do we protect these jobs? How
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do we make them more accessible to black people?
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So we think that the first step starts with modernizing
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the hiring and testing system. And we're not alone. So
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since I was here last we've been attending the charter meetings.
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We've heard presentations from personnel. We've heard presentations from the
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proprietary department. LA LAWA law LAWA is LA is, the
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airport is the airport.
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Everything got an acronym in the city and county. And
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if you don't think fast, or if you're not inundated
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in the culture, the what Alawa.
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Law A Department Water and Power that hiring takes far
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too long. It can take up to two years to
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get a job at Department Water, and that means that
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services are not being delivered in a timely fashion.
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There's not enough staff, not to mention, who has time
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to wait till for two years to figure out if
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you got the job.
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Or not exactly exactly.
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And so everyone agrees that the testing and the hiring
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has to be modernized. So for that we feel really
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comfortable that we're in phase one of the campaign that
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that's a win. But phase two means it's.
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A win that people can at least agree on this
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is what you're saying. Okay, we can agree, right, okay,
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and then the next step.
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And then the next step outside of modernizing testing is
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we want a pathways program. So a little history, LABWC
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had a contract with the City of la under Mayor
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Garcetti for two hundred jobs. Those were all public sector jobs.
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Of those two hundred, in his transition, we only got
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forty nine. When Mayor Basque came on, I'm assuming it
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was a line on an issue, she was not able
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to maintain or uphold that promise, and so we lost
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all of those jobs. And we've been fighting for them
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ever since.
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So when you say you lost them, they never really manifested.
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We Garcetti promised two hundred jobs, delivered forty nine, Yes,
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and then but those other one hundred and fifty one
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were still supposedly happening. Then that line item goes away
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under Mayor bas So the jobs we didn't lose, we
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lost the promise.
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We lost the promise of the jobs, and so now
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the learnings.
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So part of the six recommendations is to bring back
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that promise.
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Part of the six recommendation, No, we've learned from that.
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What we want is we want to path We want
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a pathways program in the charter. So we want both
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a value statement and an understand a functional implementation of
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a pathways program. So that would be internships, apprenticeships, internship
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size working of course, working with them, community colleges as
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well as places like the ELI Black Worker Center, and
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that's going to be a direct pathway. So we want
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we don't want to just be training people for jobs.
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We want to make sure that when they're done with
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the training, they are going into steady public sector employment.
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Yeah, that's really important because we've seen this, particularly with
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the Fire Department, where there are programs set up to
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train people, but they keep those people out of ever
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actually getting jobs. Oh, now you're trained, you can go
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work in I don't know, Arizona, even though we have
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a firefighter shortage. Yeah, okay, So a pathways program means
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entry level paid internships and jobs that have clear steps into.
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Employment, into employment with testing or without testing, well, different
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types of testing. Okay, yeah, we're doing two. We're asking
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for two different versions. With when there was no testing,
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you had the job for a year and then you
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had the opportunity to test up if you wanted to,
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or you could stay in your position. With weed, I mean,
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with a pathways program, we are in conversations with labor
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around what it's going to look like exactly. Because another
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fun fact about the Charter and particularly the Civil Service section.
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To change anything, first it's getting the commissioners to approve
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the recommendations. Then it moves to city council. They have to.
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Vote affirmative of eight in order for us to move
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to the ballot. We move to the ballot. Everyone's like
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this is great. They vote yes, But then comes meet
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and confer. Anytime that you're dealing with labor, you have
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to be able to bargain, and so all of our
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recommendations meet the criteria for bargaining, and meet and confer
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will happen after all the phases. But we are in
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conversations with labor right now and so we're hopeful that
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that won't be an impediment.
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So meet and confer is the process of balancing whatever
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came through the city council the ballot with the unions.
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With the unions.
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Wow, Okay, so that's a long road.
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It is a long road.
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Yeah. When you say there are six recommendations that are
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given by the LA Black Worker Center for how to
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deal with just this one little slice of the cities rules,
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which is the jobs piece, the civil service piece, what
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are those six?
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Okay, so modernized testing and hiring.
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We just talked about that, right.
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The Pathways program. And then a kind of part a
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to Pathways is inclusive recruitment. And so for us, that
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means that we want our folks to be recruited. And
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when I say our folks, of course I mean black people,
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but I also mean a broader working class, a multi
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racial working class. There's a program called LA Rise that
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comes out of the Human Civil Service Department and They
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have mapped out and identified seven neighborhoods that have all
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been historically excluded, economically disenfranchised, and we want those neighborhoods
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to be prioritized.
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Yeah, I mean that makes sense. That's what they ended
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up doing with a gang reduction and youth development program.
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It's a reflection of a formula that is used by
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the school district. Right, you put the money where the
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need is. That is not rocket science. It seems like
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it has helped in the school district. It seems like
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it has definitely helped in our gang reduction efforts for
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the city. It is under attack at the moment because
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they're trying to say that it's a proxy for race.
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But to me, that is the ultimate data, you know, logic.
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Let's see, do we put our money where we don't
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need help, or do we put it where we do
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need help. I mean, any home anybody who runs a
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home budget should know that. Well, my gas tank is empty.
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But since I have to spend my funds in every
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room in the house the same, I think I'll buy
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a new couch even though I need gas. It doesn't
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make sense. So you're looking for a formula, like a
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formula la like that to kick in for recruitment. But
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it's funny because this whole debate about DEI, a lot
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of it. What people don't realize is that a lot
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of DEI is recruitment who knows about the job so
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that they can apply and get the opportunity. So getting
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rid of DEI it's not the same as getting rid
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of affirmative action. It's really just saying we don't even
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want you to know about these jobs. We don't even
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want you to have a chance to apply. It's not
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that we're going to give you a leg up. We're
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going to just make sure you don't even know about it.
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So does that what you're calling inclusive recruitment come in
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the crosshairs of a Trump administration which is trying to
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make it seem like DEI is illegal.
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Initially we were concerned about that, not only initial conversations
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where that's not going to happen. That's not likely. I'm
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forever the optimist, and it's just like you explained the formula,
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there's a formula to it, and really it's less about
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it being a proxy for raise and more about the
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harder conversation about the ways in which we've been we
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the community has been racialized, included, and suffered because of
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racist laws and rules. And it really is a type
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of repair that the city owes us and something the
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city's already identified as something.
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That they in their own reparations report exactly, which is
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quite good. By the way, if you get a chance
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to read the LA Advisory Commission reparations report, it's not
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even that long, at least not the executive summary. I
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was gonna say, the executive side. Yeah, it's not. Well, yeah,
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this is kind of like the California one. It's long
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if you read the whole thing, but you get the
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idea if you read the executive summary, and it's quite
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eye opening. So if you look at it, mm hmm,
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and that lens. I wonder how willing city officials are
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to even utter the word repair in connection with black people.
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While we're gonna hold Marquise, we're gonna hold Hugo and
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who else was? I think Marquis and Hugo are the
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two city council members currently who are part of.
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The council President Marquis Harris Dawson. Yes, And of course
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you're talking about Ugo Soto Martinez. When you say part
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of that.
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What do you mean they participated in the repair. They
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both wrote letters in the beginning of the report.
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Oh of a reparations report. Yeah, my understanding was that
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all the Black City Council members supported that. Yes, also
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along with the Yeah so too Martinez. Yeah, who is
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definitely what we call an ally.
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Yes.
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Eight hundred nine two oh fifteen eighty. If you got
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a question or way in on YouTube, I'm Dominique Diprima
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and this is KBLA Talk fifteen eighty. Yes, I do.
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Thank you. I'm amazed always how many of us are
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up and about in LA. But we all got at
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least one job. He's trying to make it in La.
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Ariel Morris here, she's campaign coordinator for the LA Black
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Worker Center. And we could call this conversation a part two.
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Around the City Charter, you really laid it out well.
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City Charter being the rules the rules of engagement for
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Los Angeles, and it's now under review. That's just a
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process that's ongoing. Every part of the city Charter, every
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part of it has the potential to be rewritten. Right.
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The meetings are for public, common and input regarding whatever
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aspect of it. You're worried about and LA Black Worker
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Centers focused on jobs, which is the charter of the organization,
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but also really key for our city where most people
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who work here cannot afford to live here.
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Exactly, most people who work here cannot afford to live here.
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And it addresses the jobs crisis, addresses all of the
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other crises that we're seeing throughout the city, the homelessness crisis,
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the policing crisis, and that's where the most money's going.
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And so we're seeing all of this investment in programs
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that have not been effective, but we're not addressing root causes.
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If people have economic opportunity, then we can address their
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ability to live in the city.
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Yeah, it's amazing what having a job that actually covers
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your bills will do for your stability. Of course, we
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know we talk about the un house. There are many
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that do need supportive services beyond just a house and
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a job. But a lot of folks just need a
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house and a job.
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A lot of folks, Yeah, the people.
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Living in their cars, the people you know, or the
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people that have three minimum wage jobs.
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Right, and then also for those folks who do need
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more support, the lack of health insurance, the employer tied
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health insurance if they had access to benefits. It's like
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all of the ways in which we could address the problem,
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we're not even spending a modicum of the amount of
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money that we're spending on after the harm has happened,
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right And.
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If you think about I mean benefits, which you mentioned,
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we don't have to do a deep dive down that
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rabbit hole. But we know this is going to be
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an escalating crisis because of the way that the Trump
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administration is forcing the you know, Affordable Care Acts subsidies
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to go up and reducing the amount of people who
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can get medical exactly. So this is that's tip of
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the iceberg stuff. Some of the would be addressed by jobs.
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I know that when the mayor came into office, she
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was very enthusiastic about all of these unfilled city positions
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and making them more accessible, thousands of jobs. And I
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know that's still her intention, at least I believe it is,
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just you know, from my knowledge of her. But the
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budget that we're in right now has actually caused some
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city workers to be laid off. So what's the I
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guess what's the point or what is the opportunity for
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this Charter reform, given the fact that we're currently in
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a contraction and jobs are just not even there.
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Right, So we are in a million dollar deficit. I
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think actually it might be a billion. I need to
435
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track my facts, but huge, huge b or m it's probably.
436
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Yeah, I don't remember either. I think it's a multi.
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I know it's not a million dollars, it's.
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One hundred million. Maybe we're in a huge deficit. And
439
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to your point, what's believe I forgot?
440
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But yeah, yeah, what's.
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The point I think? And I'm not alone in this.
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We also have the Women's Voters League of California, Repair
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LA and some other groups who've been coming to Charter
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reform meetings. What this requires is budget reallocation.
445
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It's a billion, it's a billion a bill, it's a billion,
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a billion dollar deficit.
447
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We're in a billion dollar deficit. And so, yes, mayor
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Baths had big hopes, we all did, for the jobs
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that were gonna be available. There's certainly that many vacancies.
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There just is not enough money.
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Well, in other words, we have work that needs to
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be done, we just don't have the currently and obviously
453
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budget deficits don't last forever. I mean we're still digging
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our way out of COVID. And you know, unless unless
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this administration stays in office forever, we may we should
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be bouncing back at some point.
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I think we would, except we have the Olympics and
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then we have the Games, and those are really I
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think a lot of times people think that that brings
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so much money, and sometimes it does, but it's one
461
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of those things where you pay up front and then
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there's a return on your head.
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I mean, the city of La made money on the
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eighty four Olympics, my understanding, were the only city that's
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made money on the Olympics. So when you say sometimes,
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you really mean sometimes. I do really like hardly ever sometimes,
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And if LA could duplicate that again, it would be amazing.
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It would be The LA eighty four Foundation still funds
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youth sports with money made from nineteen eighty four, but
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you know, those folks are not around anymore to run,
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so we don't know what would happen with LA twenty eight.
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I love the Olympics. I'm an Olympics booster. I know
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that's not popular with progressives, but oh well, I.
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Like the Olympics. I just don't like that we're building
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a convention center that's going to cost millions of dollars
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a week.
477
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I mean, you're talking about the La Convention Center. If
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that's already built, you're talking about remodeling it. Remodeling it, Yeah, well,
479
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I mean it does need remodeling. The question is why
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do we the voters have to pay for that when
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we don't get money from it.
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Exactly, it's going to cost us money every year, when
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a lot of money, a lot of money.
484
00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:11.000
So those are the concern So but what's the alternative?
485
00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:12.880
I mean, do we not build this? Do we not
486
00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:15.079
build a convention center and be a world class city
487
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.720
with no world class convention center? I mean, I'm not
488
00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:20.319
saying that teeing it up because I know the answer.
489
00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:23.960
I really don't, right, I think two things can be true.
490
00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:27.079
I think that like, we can be a world class
491
00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:29.480
city and we can still be the allay that everybody
492
00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:34.200
wants to come to, arguably the best city ever, and
493
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.480
also be fiscally responsible. I think it's important for us
494
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:40.039
to do that and address the real crises because with
495
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:43.880
building the in the anticipation of making the city really nice,
496
00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:48.319
improving the convention center, it also means that as we
497
00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:52.839
prepare for all of our tourists and friends and Olympic celebrators.
498
00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:57.920
That we have increased the police budget extensively, like so
499
00:26:58.279 --> 00:27:02.039
much money, billions of dollars, billions of dollars for policing
500
00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:03.920
under the guys that we needed for the games. And
501
00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:06.559
certainly we do need security for the games. But it's
502
00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:06.960
a both.
503
00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:12.720
And yeah, I'm not convinced of that. And you know,
504
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:17.559
I know that's not like your main thrust of organizing
505
00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:21.920
buff for me, I'm not convinced that you need an
506
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:25.400
extra hundred million dollars to do your dog gone job,
507
00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:28.519
Like the LAPD is already taking up half of our
508
00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.440
money to do their job, which is keep the city safe.
509
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:33.559
And now you're telling me to do your job during
510
00:27:33.559 --> 00:27:36.599
the Olympics you need at one hundred million. I'm not
511
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:38.920
buying it. I need to see I'm going to need
512
00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.839
a lot more receipts on that.
513
00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:44.079
I agree. We're on the same page there, especially because
514
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:46.559
I want to say, about a month or so ago,
515
00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:50.519
there was a city council meeting where council Member Martinez
516
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:56.240
revealed that there are six employees on LAPD Public Relations
517
00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:00.519
who make more than in total their salary than six
518
00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:02.640
departments within the city.
519
00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:08.720
Wow, must be nice, but not really. Yeah, I mean
520
00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:12.680
you have to spend a lot of money to Yeah,
521
00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:14.000
I mean you have to be paid a lot of
522
00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:16.559
money to justify some of the things they'd be doing.
523
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:21.880
So I get it. But we digress. So we were
524
00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:25.720
on what we were on number two or number three
525
00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:29.640
number modernizing the testing system, the Pathways program, which includes
526
00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:34.279
entry level jobs, which would include entry level jobs and
527
00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:39.400
paid internships with a direct path to permanent jobs in
528
00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:43.000
civil service jobs in the city. Okay, what's number three?
529
00:28:43.160 --> 00:28:45.039
Number three is inclusive recruitment.
530
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:47.839
Oh that was okay, I thought that was part of Pathways. Okay,
531
00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:48.880
inclusive recruitment.
532
00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:52.119
Yes, And number four is our workforce equity clause, which
533
00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:55.200
stirred more feathers than inclusive recruitment, believe it or not,
534
00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:59.160
a lot of conversation around is it's a violation of
535
00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:01.319
prop to or nine? Is this going to be litigated
536
00:29:01.359 --> 00:29:05.039
after and again forever? The optimist and we've used very
537
00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:09.519
specific language, but what we're asking for is a priority
538
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:17.720
in contracting in workforce as well as internships and apprenticeships,
539
00:29:18.119 --> 00:29:22.160
and so really solidifying one, two, and three in a
540
00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:27.680
way that guarantees that our folks, folks from underserved communities,
541
00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:31.160
intentionally disenfranchised communities, will be the first people who get
542
00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:31.839
the opportunity.
543
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.200
So yeah, I can see why they're saying, oh, it's
544
00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:37.759
Prop two nine, Prop too on nine. That's which, of course,
545
00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:40.079
for me, means put it under reparations. But I know
546
00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:43.119
our city, Our city's probably not ready for that smoke.
547
00:29:44.839 --> 00:29:49.359
But doesn't mean we can advocate for it. I just
548
00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:53.279
hate preemptive surrender. Yeah, reminds me of you know, the
549
00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:57.440
LA Unified saying, oh, well, we better, we better nerve
550
00:29:58.039 --> 00:30:03.039
the Black Student Achievement program because some weird conservative ladies
551
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.160
in Virginia might sue us. No, fight for that exactly,
552
00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:08.720
like the students fought for it. Fight for that exactly.
553
00:30:08.839 --> 00:30:11.519
Thank goodness to LA Teachers Union was willing to step
554
00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:15.319
up and and the students never stopped fighting. Okay, so
555
00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:19.599
workforce equity clause that one they're they're blocking at because
556
00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:21.519
of two on nine. But I say do it and
557
00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:25.279
let and let them bring their little racist lawsuits.
558
00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:28.000
Yes, just expose yourself as a racist. We're excited for
559
00:30:28.039 --> 00:30:29.920
the opportunity to make a list.
560
00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:32.960
And the fifth recommendation is it is.
561
00:30:32.920 --> 00:30:37.119
To establish a permanent Workforce Equity Commission. And so for us,
562
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:42.039
all one through four is the vision, but this five
563
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:44.839
and six is how do we implement the vision make
564
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.960
sure that the vision is actually happening. Policy oftentimes is
565
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:52.920
really grandiose ideas that are great made with good intentions,
566
00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:54.880
but then there's an issue on the administrative side of
567
00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:55.640
the implementation.
568
00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:59.160
Yeah, how do you make it happen? In number six?
569
00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:02.839
Number six is we want audits, workforce equity audits every
570
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:03.960
four years.
571
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:08.640
Okay, the data, I mean, it sounds like a good idea.
572
00:31:09.440 --> 00:31:11.920
Don't we have something like that now?
573
00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.319
Sort of? But we the public don't have access to
574
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:16.559
the data.
575
00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:20.599
It's internal function through what department?
576
00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:24.200
Through personnel oh okay, which they're always going to say
577
00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:25.279
those are private matters.
578
00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:29.000
But when you talk about being accountable to the people
579
00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:33.000
that pay the salaries of those civil service employees, the
580
00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:38.039
personnel matters are private. Argument is is weak sauce.
581
00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:41.200
Weak sauce. That data is ours. We've literally paid for it,
582
00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:43.559
and if you're not doing anything wrong, then what's wrong
583
00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:45.000
with telling us what's going on in there?
584
00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:47.160
Right? I mean, it's not like we're asking for people's
585
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:48.799
personnel files exactly.
586
00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:52.440
We just want aggregated data around race, around gender, around
587
00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:54.000
which departments are hiring who.
588
00:31:54.920 --> 00:31:56.880
Yeah, well that would be rather interesting.
589
00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.680
It would be and it would be public hearings and
590
00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.400
that happen every four years. Yeah, and the data would
591
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:05.079
be available to the public. What's really exciting about that
592
00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:07.880
is it gives labor and opportunity actual receipts as well
593
00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:13.000
as community members to address emerging patterns of harm. And
594
00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:15.759
we know we have our hypotheses, but now we'll be
595
00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:17.079
able to prove it with the data.
596
00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:21.240
Right. So, if these six recommendations were to move forward,
597
00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:25.240
you're talking about embedding them in the charter. And for
598
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.319
people like me who don't pay attention to the charter
599
00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:30.480
most of the time, that's really serious business because if
600
00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:33.640
it's in the city Charter, it means they have to
601
00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:36.680
do it, and if they don't do it, they can
602
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:40.759
be held accountable in court. Yes, they we can be
603
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:43.039
held accountable. We are the city, right, all of us
604
00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:46.519
eight hundred nine two oh fifteen eight. If we want
605
00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:49.759
to say something about that. There's quite a few comments
606
00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:53.519
in the chats here. We need housing, we need the money,
607
00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:55.480
but who are the We's Molly Bell we're talking about
608
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:57.960
black people this morning, because this is the La Black
609
00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:02.400
Worker Center. But of course Ariel mentioned working class folks,
610
00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:05.880
and I think that is really important for the city
611
00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:09.079
of LA. We can end up like San Francisco, my hometown,
612
00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:12.720
being merely a playground for the rich, and all of
613
00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:18.039
the working class and lower income folks get pushed out further, further, further,
614
00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:21.599
further away from the city. I think that's where they're
615
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:25.440
talking about. Quaemel says, the convention center isn't decrepit, what
616
00:33:25.480 --> 00:33:29.000
could it possibly need? It's not I wouldn't call it decrepit,
617
00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:32.279
but when you compare it with convention centers and other
618
00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:35.400
major cities, it's kind of broke down. I mean, it's
619
00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:37.559
not just a matter of is it rundown, It's like,
620
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:42.039
is it spacious enough? Does it have ample parking access?
621
00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:45.119
Does it have the capacity to whole the kinds of
622
00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:48.359
conventions that we're competing for? And the answer is no.
623
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:53.319
But my question isn't there a private I'm gonna say, like,
624
00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:56.119
why do we have to pay for it? I've always
625
00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:58.200
went why do we pay for football stadiums? Why do
626
00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:00.880
we pay for convention centers? And if we do shouldn't
627
00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:03.720
every bit of profit be going back into the general
628
00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:06.720
fund in the city coffers, which I don't think that's
629
00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:10.559
the plan. We'll continue this conversation with Ariel Moore of
630
00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:13.280
the LA Black Worker Center when we come forward on
631
00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:20.000
KBLA Talk fifteen eighty. Apologetically pro working class, unapologetically pro
632
00:34:20.280 --> 00:34:23.079
black workers. That's who we are and proud of it.
633
00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:25.840
Ariel Moore is here. She is a campaign coordinator for
634
00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:28.519
the LA Black Worker Center. So you just laid out
635
00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:37.079
these six goals. LABWC has been attending meetings. Molly Bell's
636
00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:39.079
asking if the phones the phones are always open on
637
00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:42.159
the show and next hour it's just me you and
638
00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:45.639
microphone telephone, so perfect time to call. So you've laid
639
00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:48.840
out these six goals, you've been attending the meetings. How
640
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:56.119
can the KBLA delegation help manifest better worker conditions in
641
00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:57.079
our new city charter?
642
00:34:57.320 --> 00:35:00.000
Great question. We would love it if folks could show
643
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:05.000
up March tenth, four pm at City Council. That will
644
00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:08.079
be the charter reform meeting where we will be the
645
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:11.719
charter reform Commissioners will be voting on our recommendations whether
646
00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:14.519
they should move forward to City Council and their final
647
00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:19.400
recommendation report. If you can attend in person, you can
648
00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:24.920
email them at Lacity Charter Reform dot lacity dot org.
649
00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:28.559
If you can't email them, or if you're interested in
650
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:30.760
intending a meeting but you can't be there in person,
651
00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:33.960
you can also join by zoom. So what we're really
652
00:35:34.039 --> 00:35:36.800
asking for is for folks to make their voices heard.
653
00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:39.840
This is an issue that affects all people. Black people
654
00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:42.159
are the canary in the coal mines. We're the first
655
00:35:42.199 --> 00:35:44.679
to know how bad it's going to get. But a
656
00:35:44.760 --> 00:35:47.199
high tide raises all ships, which is why we're really
657
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:51.599
looking for this to be a larger coalition of working class,
658
00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:53.360
multi racial Angelinos.
659
00:35:53.639 --> 00:35:56.760
Okay, So March tenth at four pm, is that that's
660
00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:57.960
a committee meeting.
661
00:35:57.800 --> 00:36:00.719
Or that is yeah, a commissioner committee meeting.
662
00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:05.400
Okay, So it's a commission meeting under the La City Council.
663
00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:08.039
So because those commissions are appointed by the mayor.
664
00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:11.159
Actually four are appointed by the mayor for this commission,
665
00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:14.360
and then four appointed by city Council and there's five
666
00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:15.360
community members.
667
00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:18.360
Okay, so this is a commission meeting.
668
00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:19.880
This is a commission meeting.
669
00:36:19.880 --> 00:36:23.119
So at four o'clock March tenth. Yes, at City Hall,
670
00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:27.440
at City Hall, and the email that you gave was La.
671
00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:33.719
La Charter Reform, and it's at lacity dot org.
672
00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:36.440
Okay. And then to zoom in you probably go to
673
00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:39.239
the City of La website and click around.
674
00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:43.000
Charter Reform website and then it just has meetings and
675
00:36:43.039 --> 00:36:43.719
the zoom link.
676
00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:47.079
Okay. So you want people to say, look, make these
677
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.320
recommendations of the La Black Worker Center, and what about
678
00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:55.679
future meetings? Are there other charter reform meetings coming up
679
00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:56.719
that folks should track.
680
00:36:57.000 --> 00:36:59.880
So, actually, Charter Reform, the commission piece of it is
681
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:02.679
coming to an end. The final vote will be the
682
00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:06.079
end of March. This will be the last meeting on
683
00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:12.440
personnel and civil service and budget, so about our issues specifically.
684
00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:14.920
And then in March, at the end of March, they
685
00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:17.599
will give their report to City Council and to the
686
00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:20.039
mayor and then we're in phase two, which it moves
687
00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:24.000
to city council. City council meetings will be where you
688
00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:28.159
can find LABWC and we will be meeting with city
689
00:37:28.199 --> 00:37:30.639
council members to make sure we get an affirmative vote.
690
00:37:31.239 --> 00:37:36.000
So after March, the lobbying goes from the Commission to
691
00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:40.360
the Council. Yes, and it sounds like then March tenth
692
00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:43.360
is the last chance to weigh in on this particular piece,
693
00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:46.480
this civil service, black jobs and LA piece. So this
694
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:48.599
is a really a crucial moment.
695
00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:51.119
It really is. And by the end of the night
696
00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:54.960
we'll know whether there's two votes. One is happening externally
697
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:57.760
and internally, So this is the external vote that community
698
00:37:57.800 --> 00:38:00.519
can be a part of. And then the Commission at
699
00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:02.880
the end of this month will meet about all the
700
00:38:02.920 --> 00:38:06.559
things that they have voted yes on and then itemize
701
00:38:06.599 --> 00:38:07.519
things for the report.
702
00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:13.519
Wow. Okay, so that's those are really clear directives. How
703
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.559
do we track LA BWC's work in general.
704
00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:20.119
Yeah, so we actually have a special part of our
705
00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:23.119
website that's all about Charter reform. You can follow us
706
00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:27.920
on socials and.
707
00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:29.639
I think it's at LA BWC and I could be wrong.
708
00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:32.920
I followed, I follow you guys. So there's a Charter
709
00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:36.000
reform part of the website and follow on social.
710
00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:37.000
And follow on socials.
711
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:40.480
Yes, all right, well, Ariel Moore, thank you so much
712
00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:42.920
for coming in. It's great to uh hear from you,
713
00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:44.960
and I look forward to seeing where this goes.
714
00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:46.559
Yeah, I can't wait to come back and tell you
715
00:38:46.599 --> 00:38:47.679
about it. We're gonna win.
716
00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:51.559
When we fight, we win, all right. Phone lines are
717
00:38:51.559 --> 00:38:53.920
wide open eight hundred and nine two oh fifteen eighty.
718
00:38:53.960 --> 00:38:57.159
I'm Dominique to Freema for KBLA Talk, fifteen eighty