New Contract With Union at DWP Approved

Three years after a divisive strike at the Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles City Council approved a four-year agreement with an electrical workers’ union after two months of negotiations.

Under the contract, which was approved Tuesday and takes effect Oct. 1, the 6,000 workers will receive a 2.9% raise at a cost to taxpayers of $8.3 million. For the remaining three years, the increases will range from 2% to 6%, depending on the consumer price index.

Besides the wage increases, the contract also includes a new grievance procedure that management expects will save the DWP millions of dollars a year. Nearly 98% of the union’s members--which make up two-thirds of DWP’s work force--voted in June to approve the contract.