L.A. TRASH COLLECTORS CAMPAIGN TO DUMP BREAKUP MEASURES.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - City trash collectors started taking their anti-secession message to the streets of Los Angeles on Wednesday as they began distribution of 1 million fliers to hang on trash cans and doorknobs.

The trash collectors union, Service Employees International Union Local 347, spent about $100,000 on the trash-can hangers, which urge people in a dozen different languages to vote against the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood secession measures Nov. 5.

``We all know there are problems in this city but we just can't split and say forget 'em, give L.A. theirs and we'll take ours,'' said Tony Williams of Van Nuys, an East Valley trash man who plans to take two weeks off to work against secession. ``That's not how it goes.''

SEIU Local 347 opposes Valley cityhood, Measure F, and Hollywood secession, Measure H, because of a number of concerns including city jobs and benefits and a possible reduction of service. Local 347 has about 9,000 members in various city jobs, including about 600 to 650 trash collectors.

Richard Katz, chairman of the Valley Independence Committee, said he doesn't have any particular complaint about the city's trash collection, but said the jobs and benefits of trash men will be protected in a Valley city.

``I think a Valley city would be very supportive of sanitation workers,'' Katz said.

``The law requires their contracts to be honored, their pensions to be honored, their seniority to be honored. They have nothing to fear from a Valley city. The fear is from the rhetoric of their leadership and not based in reality.''

The bright yellow trash can hangers have the printed message: ``An urgent personal message from your trash man: We want to keep serving you! Vote No on F & H. Let's stay together!''

On the back, in a dozen languages, the hangers say: ``Stronger together! Vote NO on F & H.''

Secession supporters accused the trash collectors of planning to distribute the materials while on city time, a violation of the law.

``I would be floored if they're not passing these out as part of their job on city time,'' Katz said. ``I don't know how they plan to give out a million (hangers) that are designed to fit on your trash can, unless they do it while they're collecting your trash, and that's illegal. I would hope they're not doing it that way.''

A resident of West Hills said her trash man was handing out anti-secession fliers last week as he was doing his route.

``He's using city trucks to pass these things around,'' said Stella Velasquez. ``I thought that was against the law.''

Velasquez, who said she was particularly surprised by the action because she has a lawn sign supporting secession, called the SEIU to complain, but she said nothing was done about it.

Union officials said the trash men have been told to, and plan to, distribute the materials on their own time, at the conclusion of their shifts and on weekends. Their shifts usually begin around 6 a.m. and end by 2:30 p.m. most days.

``These guys, on their own time as volunteers, not on city time, not on the city's dime, as volunteers, are going to be distributing these to households throughout the city of Los Angeles,'' said Julie Butcher, general manager of Local 347.

Butcher said the drivers have been told to hand them out only on their own time. But she also noted that they are entitled to two 15-minute breaks plus a half hour for lunch every day and could hand them out

while on break.

According to Butcher, the city's cost for collecting trash from the city's 720,000 households is $17.10 per household, but the fee charged to residents is $6 per household, charged in the water and power bills, making it one of the lowest costs to residents for trash collection in the state.

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Jesse Taylor, senior representative of SEIU Local 347, speaks on behalf of city trash collectors opposed to Valley and Hollywood secession.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer