The San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved contracts with three city employee unions, offering workers raises but also requiring them to take unpaid time off.
The contracts cover the Municipal Employees Association, which represents white-collar employees, AFSCME Local 127, which represents blue-collar workers, and the Deputy City Attorneys Association.
The vote came a week after the Council adopted a budget for the coming fiscal year that slashed spending on libraries, parks and recreation centers. Some unionized employees in those departments are likely to lose their jobs if there are no other vacant positions they can be hired into, said Michael Zucchet, general manager of the Municipal Employees Association…