L.A. in Crisis, Local 685 Demands 3 Councilmembers Resign

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

By now you may have seen the incredibly troubling news that a 2021 meeting between L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmembers Kevin DeLeon and Gil Cedillo, and President of the L.A. County Federation of Labor Ron Herrera was secretly recorded and released to the public. Regardless of the serious legal issues surrounding the recording, the racially-charged content of the meeting was horrific and utterly unacceptable for both elected and labor leaders. Click here to listen to the full audio.

As of the time of this post, Ron Herrera has resigned from his post as President of the L.A. County Federation of Labor and Nury Martinez has resigned from her position as President of the L.A. City Council and taken a “leave of absence” from the City Council.

These actions are steps in the right direction, but they are far from enough. The entire Local 685 Executive Board is calling for the IMMEDIATE resignation of L.A. City Councilmembers Martinez, DeLeon, and Cedillo. Our demands are echoed by countless other labor organizations, news outlets, and even President Joe Biden.

We will keep you apprised of the next steps as we work to restore faith in both our governmental entities and the House of Labor.

In solidarity,

The Local 685 Executive Board