L.A. County Labor Federation Joins the Opposition to Secession

Mayor James K. Hahn gained a major ally in his battle against secession when a panel of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, announced Wednesday it will oppose efforts in the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood and the harbor area to break away from Los Angeles.

The federation’s Committee on Political Education, with about 100 members, voted unanimously to oppose secession. The federation is an umbrella group for unions representing 800,000 workers.

“If any of these areas secede from Los Angeles, the city of Los Angeles will have less clout in Sacramento and Washington,” said Miguel Contreras, executive secretary-treasurer of the federation. He said he’s concerned thousands of city workers could lose their jobs if the new cities adopt pared-down government structures.

Richard Close, chairman of the secession group Valley VOTE, downplayed the significance of the federation’s position, saying it is based on mistaken information.