Layoffs

City officials next week will introduce a budget that would slash millions in city services and leave several employees with pink slips. City Council members have indicated support for roughly $4 million in service cuts — ranging from the elimination of all programming at Deukmejian Wilderness Park to police-sponsored athletics programs for at-risk youth — as they try to fill a projected $18-million budget gap. With revenues remaining stagnant...

Layoffs are looming at Glendale Memorial Hospital as officials at the 334-bed facility have decided to lay off an undetermined number of employees, according to a statement released by the hospital on Monday. Hospital spokeswoman Angela Giacobbe said  the decision to lay off employees is in the preliminary stages, so it's not yet known how many workers will be impacted, what positions will be eliminated or when the layoffs will take effect. Both union and non-union employees will be laid off, according to the statement, and hospital representatives will be working with employees to see if they can find other positions with Dignity Health, the not-for-profit corporation that owns 40 hospitals including Glendale Memorial.

The far-reaching impact of the state's decision to dissolve local redevelopment agencies could end up walloping Glendale, inflating the city's budget deficit to $15 million and forcing widespread layoffs. In a two-page letter sent to city staff this week, City Manager Scott Ochoa mapped out the dire situation that includes the probability of layoffs in June before the start of the next fiscal year. About half of the budget shortfall comes from the loss of redevelopment - a steady stream of incrementally higher property taxes that helped bring in the Americana at Brand and affordable housing.

He has only been on the job for two months, but Yahoo's new chief executive, Scott Thompson, is already preparing a bold attempt to turn around the struggling Internet company. Thompson is weighing a significant restructuring of Yahoo that could include thousands of layoffs, according to technology blog All Things D . The moves, the first major ones from the former PayPal president, could be announced as early as this month, Kara Swisher reported, citing anonymous sources.

Nurses, technicians and other employees gathered outside Glendale Memorial Hospital Thursday morning to protest planned layoffs. The hospital last week announced plans to layoff an undetermined number of employees, citing an increase in the number of uninsured patients caused by the lengthy economic recession and cuts in government insurance programs. The 334-bed hospital also reported seeing fewer patients in recent months. One of the city's other major hospitals, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, laid off 21 workers  two months ago in response to federal healthcare payment reform and other industry shifts.

Two Glendale Water & Power employees who received notices in the latest round of layoffs last week blamed city officials on Tuesday for making bad decisions when it came to the suffering utility. And one said he was targeted for being outspoken about his complaints. Speaking to the Glendale City Council on Tuesday, James Griggs, a station electrician at Grayson Power Plant who has spoken at council meetings in the past about the state of Glendale Water & Power, also said the layoffs would ultimately hurt the utility.

Glendale Memorial Hospital this week announced plans to undergo a round of staff reductions, roughly two months after the city's other major hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, laid off 21 workers in response to federal healthcare payment reform and other industry shifts. Glendale Memorial on Monday pointed to an increase in the number of uninsured patients caused by the lengthy economic recession and cuts in government insurance programs in announcing its own workforce reduction.

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- A local digital entertainment company will keep only a handful of its 80 workers after announcing layoffs that will start by week's end, officials said. "We will retain a small staff to support our creative endeavors," DreamWorks SKG spokeswoman Vivian Mayer said of POP.com, which was started less than a year ago. The site, whose content was to be a mix of live action and animation produced exclusively for the Internet, was backed by DreamWorks founder Steven Spielberg and Imagine Entertainment head Ron Howard.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Layoffs and a staff reorganization are ways The Alex Regional Theatre Board is dealing with the economic downturn. Three of The Alex Theatre's 22 staff members have been laid off, and a fourth will be eliminated at the end of December, according to a statement released Monday. "It is a difficult decision to lay off personnel at any time," Max Howard, chairman of the theater's board, said in the statement. "We are aware that arts organizations across the country are struggling and in some cases facing the prospect of closing," the statement continued.

Gary Moskowitz Classified employee union president Nancy Lopez understands that Glendale Community College needs to cut its budget, but she doesn't think her employees should bear the burden of that reduction. Lopez will plead with the college Board of Trustees today not to lay off 26 full- and part-time classified employees and one manager. The board will meet at 5 p.m. in Kreider Hall at the college, 1500 N. Verdugo Road. The meeting is open to the public.

Glendale has prevailed in federal court after a jury found the city's decision to lay off two former parks officials was due to budget pressures, not, as alleged in a lawsuit, because the pair had complained about their boss. Russell Hauck and Eric Grossman alleged in their lawsuit that their jobs were cut after they complained about Dave Ahern - former assistant director of the Community Services & Parks Department - using a city truck and workers to haul rocks to his home. Ahern and then parks director George Chapjian were also listed as defendants in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

Taking the stand in federal court on Tuesday, a former Glendale parks manager called one of two ex-city workers who is suing for alleged wrongful termination a "jerk" and "one of the worst employees" he's worked with. Dave Ahern, former assistant Community Services & Parks Department director, testified in a U.S. District courtroom in downtown Los Angeles that Russell Hauck was "harmful" to other employees and the community. Hauck and former park naturalist Eric Grossman are suing Ahern, former Parks & Recreation Director George Chapjian and the city of Glendale for allegedly being laid off in 2011 after they raised concerns about Ahern's misuse of city resources.

Sixty-one Glendale Unified teachers have accepted the district's early retirement plan, a figure that could prevent teacher layoffs later this year, officials said. District officials had hoped at least 75 teachers would take the offer, but just 61 certificated employees accepted it by the Feb. 1 deadline. Glendale Unified officials had previously said that 75 to 125 employees could be let go in an effort to save about $6 million. But with 14 teachers short of the initial goal, plans to lay off teachers remain uncertain.

Nurses, technicians and other employees gathered outside Glendale Memorial Hospital Thursday morning to protest planned layoffs. The hospital last week announced plans to layoff an undetermined number of employees, citing an increase in the number of uninsured patients caused by the lengthy economic recession and cuts in government insurance programs. The 334-bed hospital also reported seeing fewer patients in recent months. One of the city's other major hospitals, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, laid off 21 workers  two months ago in response to federal healthcare payment reform and other industry shifts.

More than 100 nurses and support staff picketed outside Glendale Memorial Hospital on Thursday to oppose planned layoffs that they argued would negatively impact patient care at the 334-bed facility. The planned layoffs were announced last week, but hospital officials declined to say how many or which positions would be affected. But on Thursday, Desi Murray, spokesman for the California Nurses Assn., said the hospital had informed the union that on Feb. 15 it would be laying off 41 nursing support staff, which include licensed vocational nurses, nurses aides, monitor technicians and custodial staff.

GLENDALE - Having not played a match in 15 days, the Flintridge Prep girls' soccer team took on Westridge on Tuesday and hoped to shake off any cobwebs that might have lingered from the extended time off. The Rebels also had to take the field without standout defender Abby Letts, who was serving a one-game suspension after getting double yellow cards in the team's Prep League contest Jan. 14 against Pasadena Poly. Any notion of Flintridge Prep suffering from rust was dispelled in the first few minutes, as the team scored an early goal.

Glendale Memorial Hospital this week announced plans to undergo a round of staff reductions, roughly two months after the city's other major hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, laid off 21 workers in response to federal healthcare payment reform and other industry shifts. Glendale Memorial on Monday pointed to an increase in the number of uninsured patients caused by the lengthy economic recession and cuts in government insurance programs in announcing its own workforce reduction.

Pension costs and other employee benefits continue to be a huge financial burden for Glendale, despite some gains in raising revenue and controlling costs, according to the most recent data available. As of June 2012, the annual pension cost was about $30.6 million, up from $24.8 million the prior period. In June 2010, the pension cost was $23.8 million, according to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report released last week. As of June 2011, the city's unfunded pension liability - the difference between the value of the promises made to retirees and employees and the funds available to pay for those promises - had accrued to $227 million, up from $205 million in 2010 and $195 million in 2009, according to the report.

Two Glendale Water & Power employees who received notices in the latest round of layoffs last week blamed city officials on Tuesday for making bad decisions when it came to the suffering utility. And one said he was targeted for being outspoken about his complaints. Speaking to the Glendale City Council on Tuesday, James Griggs, a station electrician at Grayson Power Plant who has spoken at council meetings in the past about the state of Glendale Water & Power, also said the layoffs would ultimately hurt the utility.