Open to Opposing Views

0

Things got a little uncomfortable at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce last week. The chamber was hosting a visit from Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, and Los Angeles County Labor Federation chief Maria Elena Durazo used the opportunity to push for a local measure to hike wages for hotel workers to $15.37 an hour. The chamber and its chief executive, Gary Toebben, oppose the measure, which is now under study at Los Angeles City Hall.

Durazo also said the federation is working toward a hike in the minimum wage for all workers in the city. Perez chimed in on the call for raising the minimum wage – not much of a surprise, since his boss, President Barack Obama, has called upon Congress to do just that.

That wasn’t the end. Alicia Lara came to the podium. She’s vice president of community investment for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. She, too, talked about the benefits of raising the minimum wage.

“To have the top local labor leader come to the chamber boardroom and talk about raising the minimum wage and not have the walls fall down, that is progress,” Lara said.

Afterward, Toebben tried to be diplomatic.

“The comments today prove that all opinions are welcome in the chamber board room. We discuss a lot of controversial items there,” he said with a smile.

From the Heart

PR chief Carl Terzian got an invitation last month to an unusual celebration: a luncheon to mark the first anniversary of his emergency bypass surgery.

It was Aug. 26 last year when Terzian’s workmates noticed he was pale. They checked his blood pressure, discovered it was dangerously low and rushed him to the Good Samaritan Hospital, where he underwent emergency bypass surgery. His situation was critical; Terzian’s family was told to expect the worst.

But Terzian, 78, recovered nicely and, being the sociable sort, quickly bonded with his caregivers. He was already good friends with Andrew Leeka, the hospital’s chief executive.

So it was probably no surprise when Terzian got a letter from an executive of Good Sam proposing that the hospital put on a lunch so they could enjoy each other’s company again, under better circumstances. The lunch was scheduled for Aug. 25.

Terzian last week said that he was looking forward to visiting his new friends in the hospital and for taking a few minutes, once again, to give thanks.

“They brought me back from three code blues,” he said.

Staff reporter Howard Fine contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

No posts to display