Los Angeles protests massive layoffs

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138685§ionid=3510203


Union members and government workers have launched a demonstration in the US state of California, expressing their anger at the increasing number of layoffs.

The labor rally on Friday took place on the south lawn at Los Angeles City Hall, a Press TV correspondent reported.

According to the data provided by the California's Finance Department, the golden state lost nearly 900,000 jobs between 2008 and 2009.

The massive job loss is taking its first victims from among those on the Californian government pay roll, with their annual income depleting to a level unprecedented since after World War II.

"We're already really stressed, working so much overtime it's incredible,” a government employee told Press TV.

Mort Levi, another government worker, said the excessive layoffs are putting a strain on labor unions in California and across the country.

Levi said these cuts aren't logical because America's infrastructure is falling apart and the politicians seem unwilling to invest.

"There's work that can be done. It just needs the funding and the politicians have to come together and fund it but there are definitely things that can be done,” he said.

In the face of a 20-billion-dollar budget deficit, California is expected to eliminate more jobs.

The spiking unemployment has cost California an estimated 40 billion dollars in lost wages.

Experts say more jobs will be lost before any sort of recovery begins.

"There's 40 percent unemployment in the building trades on the whole in southern California. We need to put people back to work. That's what is going to build the economy back up, when people go to work," said Ron Miller, a labor expert.

Miller said that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has done nothing for workers during his two terms in office.

He said it appears that Governor Schwarzenegger is more worried about restarting his career in Hollywood than reviving California's economy.

“I think he's more interested in future endeavors then being governor. He needs to do his job and really it's a little bit too late for him to start doing his work,” Miller said.