Los Angeles County public works employees, public and mental health professionals, social workers and parks and recreation staff were set to go on strike Monday evening, accusing the county of failing to fairly negotiate a new labor contract.
More than 55,000 members of Service Employees International Union Local 721 are expected to go on strike at 7 p.m. Monday, possibly leading to disruptions in some services.
The union says it will be the first strike of its kind in L.A. County. The walkout is expected to last 48 hours.
The strike could impact a number of services including the county's non-urgent health clinics, public libraries, wildfire clean-up services, trash pick-up and homeless encampment enforcement.
"This is the workforce that got L.A. County through emergency after emergency: the January wildfires, public health emergencies, mental health emergencies, social service emergencies and more," David Green, SEIU 721's executive director and president, said in a statement. "From the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, from the foothills to the beaches, all across LA County, we get the job done. That's why we have had it with the labor law violations and demand respect for our workers."
Green told KNX News’ Karen Adams the union has been stuck at zero for months at the bargaining table, and the workers don’t feel heard.
“We want the public to understand how vital and important the work that we do is, and you know, we want LA County to stop breaking the law,” he said. “That's why we filed these unfair labor practice charges, and we want to get back to the table, and we want to negotiate a deal, and we want the public to follow the money.”
“I understand the cost of living has gone up and that the workers want to see more in their paychecks, but at the same time, we have a fiscal responsibility to make sure that when we write a check, you can cash it,” she said.
The union accuses L.A. County management of refusing to bargain with union members in good faith, and allege retaliation and surveillance of union members.
The union claims the county's proposal was a 0% increase for cost of living, and alleges the L.A. County Board of Supervisors was able to spend $205 million on a downtown skyscraper for new office space, while maintaining there's no money for frontline staff.
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The county disputes those claims, saying there are other costs the county is facing, including $4 billion on sex assault claims and $1 billion in impacts from January's wildfires. The county CEO recently released the budget proposal for the coming year, including 3% cuts to some departments and the elimination of more than 200 vacant positions.
"We are working hard to make sure our labor partners understand the financial reality of our situation," according to a county statement. "Despite the severity of our fiscal outlook, the county has made fair and responsible counter proposals that we hope the union will seriously consider. We are committed to continuing constructive negotiations and to joining with labor on something we can all agree on -- which is the County's absolutely essential role in serving the people who rely on us not just for safety net services but to make their lives better."
County Supervisor Chair Kathryn Barger echoed those sentiments to Adams.
"I understand the cost of living has gone up and that the workers want to see more in their paychecks, but at the same time, we have a fiscal responsibility to make sure that when we write a check, you can cash it,” she said.
County Library officials issued a statement saying the strike could impact services and possibly force temporary closures of some library locations.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and are preparing our operations for the strike's potential impact on library services," County Librarian Skye Patrick said in a statement. "In the event we have to temporarily close our libraries, we recommend customers access our Digital Library, which is open 24/7. We encourage customers to stay informed by checking our website for regular updates as the events unfold."
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