Smith also joined local union leaders protesting proposed layoffs at a downtown hotel Friday.
The county legislature rejected proposed layoffs and service cuts in the budget, so the county is seeking to issue bonds to help bridge its budget gap.
Mr. Siegel, who ran unsuccessfully for public advocate in 2001, called on the administration to form a task force to study the racial effect of the proposed layoffs.
The Chronicle's newsroom, which had well over 500 people after the merger, could have fewer than 200 soon, after proposed layoffs.
At the Hotel Danieli in Venice, which like the Excelsior is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, workers went on strike on New Year's Eve to protest proposed layoffs.
More than any other labor leader, he tangled with Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, often organizing rallies to protest proposed layoffs and hospital closings.
"With these retirements and proposed layoffs, we'll be down to 220 -- one fourth what we had when I assumed office.
Buried in the thousands of pages of budget documents are memorandums to Margaret A. Robertson, Mr. Gulotta's budget director, from a selection of county commissioners and department heads outlining cost savings through proposed layoffs.
The Japanese bank, which reported a small net profit of 2.8 billion yen, or $35 million, in the three months that ended Sept. 30, has announced a $1 billion cost reduction plan, including proposed layoffs in the firm's North American and European operations.
Eli spoke eloquently to local news crews about the pain the proposed layoffs cause teachers.
