Labor coalition calls Raman 'opportunist'

The head of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, blasted Nithya Raman on Wednesday, calling the City Council member an "opportunist" for launching a campaign to unseat Mayor Karen Bass after previously signaling her support for Bass.

- DAVID ZAHNISER

MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times UNION CHIEF Yvonne Wheeler, above, criticized Nithya Raman's entry into the L.A. mayor's race.

Federation president Yvonne Wheeler said in a statement that her organization, which represents an estimated 800,000 workers, will “use every tool” in its arsenal to get Bass reelected.

“With Donald Trump’s ongoing war against the people of Los Angeles, our working families and immigrant communities, now is not the time for distractions from a political opportunist — especially one who backed the Mayor's reelection campaign just weeks ago,” Wheeler said.

Raman, whose district stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda, was announced as one of the mayor's endorsers on Jan. 27 in a campaign news release listing Bass’ San Fernando Valley supporters. Two days later, she appeared in a second campaign news release as one of Bass’ female endorsers.

Raman launched her own, last-minute mayoral bid on Saturday, saying that City Hall is unable to “manage the basics.”