Originally posted at www.theliberaloc.com
The Fourth District Court of Appeal has upheld a preliminary injunction blocking the City of Costa Mesa from laying off more than 100 employees and outsourcing their jobs to the private sector.
“This is a huge boost for employee morale during a dark period in Costa Mesa’s history,” said Helen Nenadal, president of the Costa Mesa City Employees Association, which represents employees who the Council majority had scheduled to be laid off. That Council majority issued more than 200 pink slips in March 2011 to employees as part of a scheme to outsource their jobs.
Last June, Superior Court Judge Barbara Tam Nomoto Schumann issued a preliminary injunction blocking the City from outsourcing to the private sector. The City appealed that decision to the Fourth District Court of Appeals.
On Friday, the Appellate Court rejected the City’s request to overturn the injunction, affirming Judge Schumann’s order in its entirety. The case could return to Superior Court in coming months, adding to the City’s mounting legal bills in connection with the Council’s outsourcing scheme, which have climbed well into the millions of dollars.
“Hopefully the City Council majority sees this as yet another signal that they should stop making taxpayers foot the bill to advance their politically motivated agenda,” said Jennifer Muir, Assistant General Manager for the Orange County Employees Association, which represents CMCEA employees. “This is a big win for Costa Mesa taxpayers. The justice system has repeatedly exposed the Council majority’s misguided agenda during the past two years and did it again today with this decision.”