Los Angeles County Federation of Labor president resigns amid city council racist remarks scandal - CNN

CNN  — 

A national federation president who was portion of a leaked conversation successful which Los Angeles City Council subordinate Nury Martinez was heard making racist remarks astir a chap assembly subordinate and his Black kid has resigned, according to the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Ron Herrera, the president of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, resigned astatine a gathering Monday, the national said successful a connection successful which it called connected elected officials who were contiguous erstwhile the racist remarks were made to measurement down arsenic well.

“Racism successful immoderate signifier has nary spot successful the House of Labor,” the seat of the union’s enforcement board, Thom Davis, said successful a statement.

“It is unconscionable that those elected to combat for our communities of colour would prosecute successful repulsive and vile anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Asian and anti-Oaxacan remarks that pit our moving communities against each other. These sentiments volition not beryllium tolerated by our enactment oregon those who we represent.”

The Los Angeles Times reported that the leaked audio details a speech among Martinez, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and Herrera that focused connected maps projected by the city’s redistricting committee and the councilmembers’ vexation with them.

Martinez resigned arsenic the metropolis assembly president Monday aft she was heard successful that audio making racist remarks astir Councilmember Mike Bonin, a White man, and his Black child.

Herrera has not responded to CNN’s petition for comment, but the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO tweeted an apology from him.

“There is nary justification and nary excuse for the vile remarks made successful that room. Period,” the apology said. “And I didn’t measurement up to halt them and I volition person to carnivore the load of that transverse moving forward.”

In its statement, the national said, “Equality and justness for each nary substance your contention oregon the colour of your tegument are the halfway of the labour question and the enactment of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. As we determination forward, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, connected behalf of our implicit 300 affiliates and implicit 800,000 workers, remains agreed successful the combat to dismantle racism done our solidarity and our committedness to protecting the rights of moving people.”

The leaked audio was posted anonymously connected Reddit and obtained by the Times.

When talking astir the redistricting maps, the councilmembers discussed the request to “ensure that heavy Latino districts did not suffer economical assets” successful the once-in-a-decade process, according to the Times.

The councilmembers past discussed Bonin. In clips of the leaked audio posted by the Times, Martinez is heard recounting a speech and says, “Bonin thinks he’s f**king Black.”

According to the Times, Martinez says Bonin appeared with his lad connected a interval successful a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade and helium “handled his young Black lad arsenic though helium were an accessory.” The lad is 8 years old, according to a Facebook station by his father.

The Times reported that Martinez besides said of Bonin’s child, “Parece changuito,” oregon “He’s similar a monkey.”

In a connection Monday, Martinez apologized for the comments. “I instrumentality work for what I said and determination are nary excuses for those comments.”

Martinez’s resignation arsenic president was effectual immediately, according to the statement, though she remains a subordinate of the council.