Los Angeles OKs settlement with #IBEW over DWP audits By Rick Orlov Bringing to an end, at least temporarily, the lengthy battle over the city’s right to audit two trusts funded by the Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a settlement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18 over the issue. Under the settlement, Controller Ron Galperin will be allowed to go back five years to audit the Joint Training and Joint Safety Institutes that have received $4 million a year for the past 10 years to make sure the money was properly spent. However, the question of future audits will be left to the courts to decide a pending lawsuit filed by the IBEW challenging the city’s power to audit the trusts. “It’s about time,” Galperin said. “I have said for more than a year that the two trusts must open their books to a controller’s audit. With this agreement, the trusts are fully agreeing to comply. “Most important, this agreement stipulates that no city funds will be paid unless the trusts cooperate fully with the audit.” The 21-page agreement requires the two trusts to meet within the next seven days to agree to provide all the information to Galperin. Only after he completes the audits and finds no problems will any money be sent to the trusts. Any problems discovered will be sent to the District Attorney’s office, which also is looking at the activities of the trusts. The boards of the trusts, made up of an equal number of union and management representatives, have not met for the past eight months as part of the dispute that began when Galperin issued subpoenas for information. Brian D’Arcy, business manager of IBEW Local 18 who has been fighting the audits, released a statement saying his primary concern is worker safety. “Over the past several years, there have been too many serious accidents and life-threatening injuries that have jeopardized the safety and well-being of DWP’s employees,” D’Arcy said. “The Joint Training and Safety Institutes are effective and independently operate to protect the safety of the DWP’s more than 8,000 working women and men.” The trusts have been used to assess the safety and training programs of other utilities throughout the nation for use in Los Angeles. Galperin said he hopes to complete the audits within three months and has a team of auditors prepared to do the work. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has been at odds with the IBEW since his election, said he supports the settlement. “I was elected with a mandate to reform the DWP, and for the past year we’ve worked to bring transparency to these trusts and accountability for ratepayers,” Garcetti said. “With this agreement, the city can open the books and follow the money, which is what DWP customers deserve.” City Attorney Mike Feuer said he believes the agreement will provide the transparency that the public and ratepayers have a right to expect. He said his office will continue to fight in the Court of Appeal to allow future audits. Mel Levine, president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, said he was pleased to have the issue finally settled. “The settlement achieves our objective of assuring the thorough audit of the two trusts,” Levine said. “This has been the goal of the DWP commission and we are very pleased that this has been achieved.” DWP General Manager Marcie Edwards said the settlement allows the agency to move on. “This resolution endorsed is consistent with Mayor Garcetti’s commitment to transparency, and allows us to collaborate and focus again on all our priorities and goals as the largest municipal utility in the nation,” Edwards said. “LADWP remains committed to meeting the safety and training needs of our employees, and upholds the spirit and intent with which the JTI/JSI were established.”
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 23:05:10 +0000
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