The Issues We Face
We love working at the West Hollywood Aquatic Center, and we take pride in keeping our community safe. But the City classifies us as “temporary,” even though most of us work here year-round: a label that caps our hours, keeps benefits off the table, and makes it hard to build stable lives.
Workplace issues
- Protected voice at work. With a union, we have legal protection to speak up about workplace concerns without fear of retaliation.
- Clear standards and advancement. A union contract ensures we get the benefit information and clear advancement procedures California law (AB 1484) requires.
- Fair wages and legal overtime. Enforcing California overtime law, plus negotiating wages that reflect our training and experience.
- Dignity and fair treatment. A contract guarantees a real grievance procedure and consistent, professional treatment for everyone.
- Safe working conditions. A voice in the safety protocols and equipment decisions that affect us.
- Real job security. Disability insurance, sick leave protections, and just cause standards instead of at-will status.
- Equal pay for equal work. Aquatics Aides are asked to teach swim lessons at aide pay rates, while lifeguards teaching the identical lessons are paid at lifeguard rates. A contract should guarantee pay parity for the same work.
- Consistent hours and clear expectations. The 1000-hour annual cap and inconsistent scheduling make it hard to plan financially or rely on this job.
How a union changes things
A union gives us real tools to address these issues, not just promises, but enforceable rights.
- Collective voice. We negotiate as equals with management through an elected bargaining team, instead of individual complaints that are easy to ignore.
- Written contract. Wages, benefits, working conditions, and grievance procedures become legally binding, not verbal promises that can disappear.
- Grievance process. A formal process to challenge contract violations, with union representation.
- Just cause protection. No more “separated for any legal reason at any time.” Discipline requires documented cause and due process.
- Legal backing. AFSCME provides experienced negotiators, lawyers, and resources. We’re not alone in this.
- Protected organizing. The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act makes it illegal to retaliate against us for organizing.
The fight for recognition
These workplace issues are why we organized. Here’s where the fight to get a contract actually stands.
We began organizing in October 2025, and on February 20, 2026 we filed with the Public Employment Relations Board (Case No. LA-RR-1380-M) with majority support from more than 100 Temporary Lifeguard I, Temporary Lifeguard II, and Aquatics Aide employees, formally asking the City to voluntarily recognize our union. On May 27, 2026, City Manager Jackie Rocco denied that request.
Why we don’t think the denial holds up:
- We’re a clear community of interest. One facility, the same certifications, the same hazards, the same shifts, the same supervisors. AB 1484 confirms temporary public employees’ right to organize, and we chose AFSCME: that choice is protected.
- We don’t do the same work as the existing full-time unit. The denial argues we should be folded into the City’s permanent-employee union because we do “the same work.” But the permanent Senior Lifeguards run programming, scheduling, training, and certifications; they don’t guard the water day to day. We share a job title, not a job.
- The same objection doesn’t apply anywhere else. The permanent unit the City wants us folded into already mixes supervisors and rank-and-file staff. The concern about mixing roles only came up once we organized.
- This isn’t a rival union. WeHoME (the City’s existing AFSCME local) and WeHo Temps United are both AFSCME, under the same District Council 36. We formed our own local because temporary workers have distinct concerns, including no benefits, no guaranteed hours, lower pay, and a swim-instruction pay gap, that get drowned out inside a unit built for permanent employees.
We’re keeping this campaign cooperative and calm. We’re not looking for a fight with the City or with our fellow AFSCME members. We’re asking the City to honor the neutrality pledge it signed in January 2026, and to recognize the union we built.