Community and Labor United in Reappointment of CRA's Joan Ling

At a LA City Council meeting on December 19, a unified coalition of labor and housing advocates ensured Joan Ling's reappointment to the Board of the Los Angeles City Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The business community had tried to deny Joan a second term because of her persistent efforts to require recipients of CRA funds to provide greater numbers of affordable homes and union jobs.

Key to winning over on-the-fence council members was lobbying by labor, particularly the L.A. County Federation of Labor and the Building Trades (Joan has been supportive of prevailing wage and project labor agreements.) Although a lengthy grilling of Joan by council members was painful, the testimony of her supporters was inspiring and showed what a broad coalition can achieve.

Speakers focused on how important Joan's participation on the CRA Board was for the people who live and work in Los Angeles. Maria Elena Durazo, the head of the County Federation of Labor, spoke as did Dick Slauson, the president of the Building Trades Council, Robbie Hunter, the president of the Ironworkers local, and representatives of the IBEW Local 11 (electrical workers) and UNITE HERE Local 11 (hotel workers).

Other speakers included members of community organizations such as ACORN and POWER (Parents Organized for Westside Renewal), LISC, Livable Places, Mental Health Assoc. of LA, and SCANPH. Madeline Janis of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (and a fellow CRA commissioner) spoke as well. Many more supporters were waiting to testify, but public testimony was limited by the Council President.

The final votes were as follows:

Yes: Reyes, Garcetti, Wesson, Alarcon, Greuel, Huizar, La Bonge, Zine, Rosendahl, Hahn (10)

No: Perry, Cardenas, Parks, Smith (4)

Absent: Weiss