Antonio Villaraigosa, the former trade unionist who was elected mayor of Los Angeles earlier this year, has come under fire from some unions for his policies during the first six months of his term. Villaraigosa's background is as an organizer for the city teachers union, and he still considers himself a friend of unions. But he has said that as an executive, he is responsible for ensuring that the city's finances are in order.
See "Mayor Hangs Tough Amid Dissent", Richard Fausset and Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2005