Los Angeles City Council OKs plan for layoffs, furloughs

As they struggled to eliminate a $405-million budget shortfall, council members said they still hoped the city's negotiators would come up with other budget solutions over the next two days that would help them avoid the most draconian cuts.

The council referred the early retirement plan to the Executive Employee Relations Committee, which is composed of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and four council members. That panel is to meet today.

The council will still need to cast a second vote before Sept. 28 for its cuts to go into effect, according to council President Eric Garcetti's office. Such a move would eliminate 926 jobs -- many through layoffs -- and force the employees of the Coalition of L.A. City Unions to take 26 unpaid days off by June 30.

Garcetti said Wednesday's 13-0 vote to impose the cuts serves as "an insurance policy" in case the unions and the council are unable to find other budget solutions before Friday, when the next council meeting is expected. Councilman Richard Alarcon said the vote buys the city two more days to create a more financially viable early retirement plan.