(Click to link to an updated post about the lawsuit.)
UPDATE, JULY 18, 4:49 P.M.: Though she made her ruling two weeks ago, Orange County Superior Court Judge Tam Nomoto Schumann issued the written order blocking the city of Costa Mesa from laying off employees and privatizing their jobs late Friday night.
The written order just added fuel to the never-ending press release battle between the city of Costa Mesa and the Orange County Employees Association (OCEA), who filed the injunction.
Today, OCEA put out a press release in response to the city's last press release. OCEA spokeswoman Jennifer Muir says it was meant to clarify “a ton of confusion” and to “correct the record.”
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Muir says she thinks the “city completely mischaracterized what the judge said,” calling “the whole first sentence of the press release incorrect.” Muir says she was frustrated that even though the “judge's ruling didn't say anything affirmative,” the city's press release was framed in a positive light.
But, after all, it's hardly surprising that a city press release tried to make the city look good. PR 101, much?
Then, a few minutes ago, City Spokesman Bill Lobdell released another press release, saying the city now realizes that the way they “originally interpreted” the judge's decision wasn't quite right. The city thought they could continue the outsourcing process as long as they showed that they followed “proper procedures,” the press release explains.
Although the judge's written order makes no reference to “proper procedures,” the judge used that phrase in her verbal ruling, Lobdell says.
Anyway, the city says they get it now and are happy to comply.
“The injunction makes it clear that the judge has ordered the City to not outsource jobs to private companies until the OCEA lawsuit is concluded. We respect her decision and are now looking at our next legal options,” City Attorney
Tom Duarte says in the city's latest press release.
UPDATE, JULY 5, 7:17 P.M.: While the employee association who filed the injunction says the judge's decision today “removes a dark cloud” from above city employees' heads, the city says the judge's decision isn't much of a game-changer.
“It doesn't have a huge impact on what we're doing,” says Bill Lobdell, the city's interim director of communications.
The Orange County Employees Association, who filed the injunction, is pleased with the judge's decision, but they say the fight is far from over.
“This is a positive outcome, but it is only one step toward
holding this Council accountable,” OCEA spokeswoman Jennifer Muir says in a
press release. “It will prevent the City from laying off employees to
outsource to the private sector. At least temporarily, it removes a dark cloud
from over the heads of City employees, their families, and the entire
community.”
In a press release, Lobdell stresses that the judge's
decision did not find the city had violated “proper procedures.”
“From the city's point of view we followed the proper
procedures and we'll continue doing that,” he says.
Previous Costa Mesa Layoffs Coverage:
ORIGINAL POST, JULY 5, 5:54 P.M.: Finally, the Costa Mesa employees who got layoff notices earlier this year have caught a break–or at least a reprieve.
Judge Tam Nomoto Schumann ruled today to enjoin the city from it's intended outsourcing, the article says, and “agreed that the city did not follow proper procedures earlier this year when it issued 213 layoff notices to employees telling them their jobs would be outsourced in six months to mostly private companies.”
Since the civil case probably won't go to trial before the eminent layoff date–the end of September–employees' jobs look safe, at least through the fall, Serna writes.
