The City suggested that the Union select another Holiday that the Unions would
be willing to "swap" for, and Columbus Day was the most "vulnerable", and 
least "venerable" to unions with a large Hispanic component.

Therefore, the City and Unions agreed to the "transfer" of a "taking a day 
off" from
Columbus Day to Cesar Chavez Day. 

Columbus Day will still be recognized as a Federal Holiday, but City 
Employees will NOT be given the Day off. 

The Italian American Community has great concern that not only will Columbus 
Day NOT be celebrated in the second largest City in the US, but that this is 
the Beginning of a Trend, with LA County workers next, then other Cities and 
Counties in California, and then State Workers. 

Thereafter, this Holiday "swap" can spread to other States, particularly the 
Southern States. ( The '"swap" is already in effect in Fort Worth/ Tarrant 
County, TX ).

Obviously, there will also be concern about "movement" in the Private sector. 
 
========================================
Thanks to: Italian_American_One_Voice@yahoogroups.com

CHAVEZ-COLUMBUS DEBATE NO HOLIDAY FOR COUNCIL 
Dispute: A day off to honor labor leader replaces day for explorer--for now.

Los Angeles Times 
Patrick McGreevy
03/21/2002 
Home Edition,California; Metro Desk, Page B-1 

Faced with the sometimes choppy waters of ethnic politics, the Los Angeles 
City Council on Wednesday could have used the navigating prowess of 
Christopher Columbus and the negotiating skills of Cesar Chavez. 

The touchy issue at hand: whether to allow 2,000 city employees to take Cesar 
Chavez Day as a paid city holiday instead of Columbus Day.  The proposal drew 
a storm of protest from the Italian American community, including a letter of 
opposition signed by former Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda, actor Joe Mantegna 
and Democratic strategist Joe Cerrell, among others.
 
Italian Americans do not oppose declaring Cesar Chavez's birthday a city 
holiday, said Cerrell, also president of the National Italian American 
Foundation. But they vigorously oppose taking city holiday status away from 
Columbus Day, an action ''which we interpret to be racist, anti-Italian 
American,'' said Cerrell, one of about a dozen Italian Americans to address 
the council. 

''As one who met Cesar Chavez ... I think he would be appalled at what they 
are trying to do today,'' Cerrell said. 

The freewheeling debate included a shouting match between Councilmen Hal 
Bernson and Nate Holden. In the back of the council chambers, a bust of the 
late John Ferraro, former council president and proud Italian American, 
seemed to be averting its eyes.
 
The council decided to give the employees Cesar Chavez Day off instead of 
Columbus Day for this year but--offering an olive branch--also agreed to see 
if the unions representing city workers would accept changes in future years 
that would not offend either community. 

One option would be to give both days as paid holidays, but an additional day 
off would cost the city about $5 million.
 
City employees already have at least 12 holidays a year, depending on the 
union they belong to.
 
Since some unions have yet to finalize their new contracts, only about half 
the city employees will get Monday off to commemorate Chavez's birthday, 
which is actually March 31, while the other half will take off Oct. 14 as 
Columbus Day.
 
Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers union, died in 1993. The state 
made his birthday a holiday in 2000. 

Columbus Day has long been a national holiday to honor the Italian explorer 
who discovered America. 

''If a person with such a tremendous accomplishment is no longer to be 
honored, then who should be?'' they asked in a letter to the council.  The 
vote was 8 to 4, with council members Nate Holden, Nick Pacheco, Jan Perry 
and Ed Reyes in opposition.
 
Reyes said the city should honor both Columbus and Chavez. ''We should not be 
devaluing either the memory of Cesar Chavez or Columbus,'' he said.  Former 
City Councilman Mike Hernandez said that when he and others first proposed 
commemorating Cesar Chavez's birthday, it was not their intent to pit one 
ethnic group against another.
 
During negotiations, the unions refused to swap a floating holiday for Cesar 
Chavez Day, insisting that another holiday be swapped, City Administrative 
Officer William Fujioka said. 

The three-year contracts with six unions, including management and inspection 
employees, were negotiated in good faith, and, as a result, employees 
involved were expecting to have Monday off, Fujioka said.
 
The City Council could have faced unfair bargaining complaints from the 
unions if the holiday switch had not been approved, at least for this year, 
council members said. 

Councilwoman Janice Hahn said that if the city budget improves next year, it 
might help solve the problem. 

''This year we are in a bit of a bind,'' Hahn said. ''We should go forward 
with what we negotiated in good faith.'' 

''I'm disappointed,'' said Russ Rametta, president of the California 
Commission for Social Justice, Order Sons of Italy in America. Cerrell, whose 
firm does lobbying at City Hall as well as political strategy, said the 
council offer to revisit the matter for future years was better than nothing. 

''I can live with one year,'' Cerrell said afterward. ''Italians are lovers, 
not fighters.''
-------------------------------------
* $5 million divided by 2,000 employees = $2500 per day, an obviously 
inflated number. The number is closer to ONE TENTH that amount, or $500,000!!!