LA County Labor “All In” for “Yes on A”
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DetailsOctober 15, 2024
For Immediate Release -
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On the first anniversary of the ‘Summit on Poverty and Homelessness,’ the LA County labor movement is laser-focused on turning out the union vote to support Measure A.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Last October, the Los Angeles County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO hosted a summit on ‘Poverty and Homelessness,’ the first for a central labor council.
Drawing in hundreds of rank-and-file union members, community members, and dozens of elected officials like Senator LaPhonza Butler, Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass, and Mayor of Long Beach Rex Richardson to hold meaningful discussions around solving the poverty crisis.
Presently, around 75,000 individuals sleep unhoused in LA County every night. That number could fill Sofi Stadium to capacity and still have about five thousand waiting outside. Over 1.4 million are living in poverty, with over 70% being Black, Brown, and immigrant.
“The labor movement can no longer turn a blind eye to the poverty and homelessness crisis,” said Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, “we must do everything we can to address this crisis.”
In the year since, the LA labor movement has rolled its sleeves up and partnered with a coalition of housing experts, mental health professionals, labor leaders, and community advocates to find a long-term viable solution- Measure A.
Measure A is a countywide measure to repeal the current Measure H ¼ cent sales tax, which expires in 2027, and replace it with a ½ cent sales tax expected to generate $1,076,076,359.00 annually.
This measure is the first to dedicate public monies to building more affordable housing in every city of LA County, built by union members, and creating more pathways to good union jobs for our neighbors who need them the most.
Measure A is a citizen’s initiative that was put on the ballot after being signed by over 400,000 registered voters across LA County.
Measure A is vital to workers because it will also provide labor protections to public sector workers on the frontlines of fighting this crisis, ensuring they are not one paycheck away from becoming unhoused.
Exactly one year ago, the LA County labor movement pledged to address the poverty crisis, and now, union members across LA County are invested in getting out the union vote, making thousands of phone calls, and knocking on doors in support of ‘Yes on A’ and labor-endorsed candidates.
To date, rank-and-file union members have completed 126 volunteer shifts, and over 44,000 calls have been made to fellow union members across LA County.
Passing Measure A is the foremost priority for the LA Labor movement this election cycle. The LA County Federation of Labor is proud to be a force for change as we seek to abolish poverty and homelessness.
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About Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Since 1885, the LA Fed has been a force for progress. We are a federation of over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations representing more than 800,000 members, each with their own unique stories and backgrounds. We stand united in our mission to build a movement for justice committed to protecting the rights of working people and improving the lives of our families and communities.