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M O N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 18- S E P T E M B E R 24, 2023
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More than 7,000 affordable housing units awaiting development
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ore than 7,000 units of affordable housing are in the city of Los Angeles’ development pipeline as a result of her first executive directive, aimed at accelerating and lowering the cost of affordable housing projects in the city, Mayor Karen Bass’ office announced Thursday. Bass issued her first executive directive, also known as ED 1, in December with the intent of dramatically increasing the number of affordable housing projects and units in the city’s development pipeline. Since the mayor issued ED 1, the Department of City Planning received proposals for 95 affordable housing projects and 38 project cases have been completed while 57 of them are currently under review. The city planners received proposals for approximately 7,301 units of affordable housing, of which 2,990 were approved and
By City News Service
| Photo courtesy of Barefoot_traveller_Envato Elements
The motion instructed city staff to draft an ordinance within 90 days, codifying the provisions of ED 1 to the “fullest legal extent permissible.” The Department of City Planning released a draft ordinance Thursday, which can be viewed at https:// bit.ly/3rdpEb9. Planning department staff will conduct a public hearing on Oct. 11 to collect input from stakeholders. It will then be slated
for consideration by the Planning Commission, City Council and mayor later this year. “I commend the City Council for acting with urgency on this program,” Bass said in a statement. “With locked arms, we can deliver more affordable housing to Angelenos who need it the most and keep moving L.A. forward with the determination to confront the homelessness crisis.”
California Kaiser Permanente health care workers authorize strike
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early 60,000 unionized health care workers across the state voted overwhelmingly to authorize their union to call a strike if labor talks break down with Kaiser Permanente. According to the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, the workers voted by a 98% margin in favor of a walkout if a labor contract can’t be reached. The vote does not mean a strike will occur. It only authorizes the union to call one if union leaders deem contract talks to be at a stalemate. Union officials said if a walkout occurs, it could be the largest health-care strike in
City, LAPD sued for releasing identities of undercover officers
By City News Service 4,311 are currently under review, according to the mayor’s office. ED 1 also streamlined and reduced the processing time for projects with complete paperwork from months to 47 days. “We should be building as much affordable housing throughout the city as possible and (ED 1) is delivering real results,” Bass said in a statement. “The directive has doubled the number of approved affordable housing units in three months and is helping people come inside faster and remain housed for good.” In an effort to codify provisions of ED 1, L.A. City Council members introduced a motion to make ED 1 a permanent city program in June. Council members introduced the motion to maintain provisions of the directive, which would have expired without Council action.
By City News Service U.S. history. “For weeks, Kaiser sent us messages telling us to reject a strike,” Miriam De La Paz, a Labor and Delivery Unit secretary at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Downey, said in a statement released by the union. “Their millionaire executives implied we were imagining the delays in care our patients are experiencing and ignored the fact that our families are struggling more and more to keep up with the rising cost of living. Instead, workers are rejecting short staffing and inadequate pay, and we will be going on strike if Kaiser doesn’t stop committing unfair labor practices.” The union accused Kaiser
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of cutting performance bonuses for employees, failing to protect employees against subcontracting, offering wages that fail to keep pace with inflation and falling short in efforts to maintain adequate staffing levels. Kaiser officials issued a statement Thursday saying the health care provider is “confident we’ll reach an agreement before the national agreement expires on Sept. 30 that strengthens our position as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our members expect from us remains affordable and easy to access.” According to Kaiser, two bargaining sessions are sched-
uled for this week. Kaiser officials said the company is offering “across the board wage increases,” with a minimum wage starting at $21 an hour. The health care provider denied the union’s various allegations, including that it is slashing performance bonuses and raising premiums for members without any relation to health care costs or improvements in care. “In Southern California, where our wages significantly exceed market levels, we are offering wage increases of 10% over four years plus lump sum bonuses of 4%, to keep our employees well compensated,” according to Kaiser.
| Photo by sergign/Envato Elements
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early 700 undercover Los Angeles Police Department officers sued the city Tuesday, alleging their safety was impacted by the release of department photographs and personal information earlier this year through the California Public Records Act. Lawyers representing the 691 LAPD undercover officers sued in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying the city and the department “negligently” released personal information that was subsequently posted on various websites. Undercover LAPD officers’ names, photos, and other personal information were released to the public, and put the lives of those officers and their investigations at risk, according to the complaint. The lawsuit demands accountability and safeguards, according to a joint statement from the various plaintiffs’ attorneys. “We tried to engage the city of Los Angeles to stanch the damage caused by their reckless production of undercover officers’ personal identities, but because of their failure to face responsibility and put the appropriate safeguards in place, we are now pursuing this through litigation,” attorney Matthew McNicholas said in a statement. “To this day, criminal elements continue to use this information to track, follow and harass these police officers. Their lives, carer and ongoing investigations to protect the public are at risk, and we demand the city of L.A. take action.” A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The case stemmed from California Public Records Act requests made to the LAPD, which the department initially See LAPD Page 28