logo
"Fed up" Los Angeles County workers set to hold two-day strike over contract negotiations

"Fed up" Los Angeles County workers set to hold two-day strike over contract negotiations

CBS News28-04-2025

Several Los Angeles County services could experience temporary interruptions when workers represented by the Service Employees International Union go on strike starting Monday night.
SEIU 721 members will begin their strike at 7 p.m. on Monday and continue through 6:59 p.m. on Wednesday.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and are preparing our operations for the strike's potential impact on library services," said Sky Patrick, a librarian for Los Angeles County. "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."
Union leaders say that the county has continually violated labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on issues like the cost of living increase and health insurance.
"Our members have reached the breaking point," said David Green, President of SEIU 721. "They're fed up. They're frustrated. They're tired of being disrespected at the table, and that's why they're ready to strike."
SEIU has more 55,000 members across all public sectors of the county, including healthcare professionals, social workers and public works employees.
Green says that they've been stuck at the bargaining table for six months and have yet to receive a real offer.
"There hasn't been real bargaining, so we've unfortunately had to file unfair labor practices in the county of Los Angeles," he said.
On top of libraries, trash collection and homeless response services, people may experience closed bathrooms at all county beaches and wildfire debris cleanup on beaches may also come to a temporary halt.
Despite this, hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care centers are expected to remain open. Other health clinics will stay open as long as there's enough staff.
Mobile therapy units and mobile health services for children will be canceled for the duration of the strike.
In response to the news of the strike, the county said that they're prepared for the potential impact. They also disputed the union's claims of unfair labor practices in a statement that read in part:
"The County is facing unprecedented stresses on our budget, including a tentative $4 billion settlement of thousands of childhood sexual assault claims brought under AB 218, a projected $2 billion in impacts related to the January wildfires and recovery, and the potentially catastrophic loss of hundreds of millions or more in federal funding. ... 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."
Union members say that the county is using its members as a scapegoat for a situation they didn't create.
"Our folks are the safety net, whether you're an emergency room nurse or a children's social worker, or someone that works to serve mental health needs for the most vulnerable parts of our community. We're not going to be blamed for things that happen financially," Green said.
The strike, Green says, is "wall to wall" meaning that every single member of the union voted for it to happen, the first in SEIU's history.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How Immigrants and Labor, Long Joined in L.A., Set the Stage for Protest
How Immigrants and Labor, Long Joined in L.A., Set the Stage for Protest

New York Times

time2 hours ago

  • New York Times

How Immigrants and Labor, Long Joined in L.A., Set the Stage for Protest

Los Angeles is a city of immigrants. It is also a city of unions. And in California, those two constituencies have essentially melded into one. So it should come as no surprise that federal immigration raids on workplaces around Los Angeles County this week set off the largest protests to date against President Trump's immigration crackdown. On the first day of the protests, David Huerta, the president of the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union and the grandson of Mexican farmworkers, was arrested and hospitalized for a head injury after being pushed by a federal agent. Officials said he was blocking law enforcement carrying out an immigration raid, and his detention touched off a series of mobilizations nationwide. At a hastily convened rally in front of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Monday, some of the labor movement's top brass passed around a microphone to decry immigration enforcement operations and demand his release. 'Our country suffers when these military raids tear families apart,' said Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, standing in a cluster of signs reading 'Free David.' 'One thing the administration should know about this community is that we do not leave anybody behind!' Mr. Huerta was released on bail later in the day and still faces charges. It wasn't always this way in American unions. Historically, they often viewed immigrants with suspicion, likely to undercut wages and to be unwilling to stand up to employers. While those attitudes still exist, union leadership has aligned itself with immigrants' rights — and placed itself squarely in opposition to the Trump administration's agenda of mass deportation. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

FBI Probes Deep-Pocketed Leftist Groups Behind Los Angeles Anti-ICE Riots
FBI Probes Deep-Pocketed Leftist Groups Behind Los Angeles Anti-ICE Riots

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

FBI Probes Deep-Pocketed Leftist Groups Behind Los Angeles Anti-ICE Riots

Recent riots in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were ignited by a coordinated social media campaign initiated by well-funded left activist groups following the arrest of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) leader David Huerta, reported the Daily Caller News Foundation. The demonstration escalated into violent rioting, reminiscent of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, with reports of rioters receiving supplies such as face shields, gas masks, and earplugs to confront law enforcement. The FBI is investigating the financial connections behind these riots, which led to vandalism and clashes with police. As the riots unfolded, various left-wing agitators and groups, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), played prominent roles in rallying support. SEIU and its allied organizations encouraged attendees to oppose ICE operations, with some leaders expressing radical views on resisting law enforcement. Here is more of the story from the Daily Caller News Foundation: Well-funded activists and a coordinated social media campaign helped spark the pro-illegal migrant protests on Friday that descended into days of rioting in Los Angeles. Left-wing groups posted calls to action with a location to gather on Friday in unison after the arrest of a local Service Employees International Union (SEIU) leader on Friday. The subsequent uprising echoed scenes of the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, which brought activists such as professional 'legal observers' into the streets during a wave of protests that led to fires, looting, vandalism and deaths across the country as the organization's leaders enriched themselves. Protests continued in a coordinated fashion through Monday, with some unidentified individuals driving up to others in trucks to distribute protective face shields resembling gas masks, according to a Fox 11 reporter who said he witnessed the trend. Fox News' Bill Melugin reported on Sunday that protesters were being provided with ear plugs, gas masks and water bottles that they then hurled at police officers. 'The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots,' FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday night. As the chaos built up, activist groups — and a major labor union — fanned the flames of the anti-ICE movement by fomenting resistance to law enforcement in the streets and online. SEIU California President David Huerta helped kick off the tumultuous weekend by getting arrested during ICE raids on Friday morning. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges Huerta tried to obstruct federal agents who 'were executing a lawful judicial warrant' while ICE conducted raids in Los Angeles. An affidavit accuses Huerta of conspiracy to impede an officer by directing others to block the path of law enforcement vehicles. SEIU said Huerta was 'exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity' in a Friday press release. Aligned activist groups and local SEIU chapters began posting announcements on Friday on platforms such as X, Bluesky and Instagram telling people to come to a downtown Los Angeles federal building at 4 p.m. and stand against the ICE raids. Many groups obtained and posted the same graphic for the announcement bearing the SEIU's logo. SEIU California boasts of having more than 700,000 members, and SEIU chapters are funded by member dues. SEIU California's media team did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation's request for comment. SEIU's shared graphic advertised a press conference with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) at the building's address that ended up taking place. However, after hundreds showed up to the facility starting at 4 p.m., protesters began throwing objects at police, blocking off parts of a street and vandalizing federal property, ABC7 reported. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared an unlawful assembly after 7 p.m. CHIRLA is a left-wing, immigration-focused nonprofit that received nearly $34 million in government grants in 2023 under the Biden administration, tax filings show. The group did not respond to a request for comment. Another downtown Los Angeles press conference on Friday featured speakers from Unión del Barrio and Centro CSO, Facebook video shows. Unión del Barrio's Ron Gochez told his audience about the need to resist ICE 'by any means necessary.' 'If we organize, we can kick their asses out of every single ghetto, every single barrio, anywhere where our people are,' Gochez said, drawing applause. 'Who gives a damn about legality, when these people have their boot to our neck,' Gochez said, referencing immigration law. 'We have … every single obligation, moral, historical, we have every reason to defend our people, to defend our community, to defend our families by whatever means necessary.' Unión del Barrio describes itself as 'entirely self-financed through membership dues, community contributions, and local fundraising' on its website, while Centro CSO says it is a member-funded grassroots group. The organizations did not respond to the DCNF's requests for comment. The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) helped spread SEIU's graphic about CHIRLA's Friday press conference on X. 'Citizens who know their rights can disrupt and slow ICE incursions, as well as pressure local authorities to take action,' another Friday X post from the group reads. The DSA chapter did not respond to a request for comment. Photo depicts vandalized police cars as rioters continue anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by ALI MATIN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) Los Angeles protesters were seen carrying signs from the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which encouraged the protests to continue their 'courageous stand' over the weekend and accused law enforcement of escalating the situation. A large PSL banner and PSL signs were also seen behind speakers at CHIRLA's Friday press conference. The PSL is a political party that is not required to publicly disclose its funding, but it is linked to a pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) millionaire's network of political and media organizations, the DCNF previously reported. The PSL did not respond to a request for comment. The 50501 Movement, formed in response to the second Trump administration, promoted the protests on Bluesky throughout the weekend, including the Friday 4 p.m. gathering. 50501 National Press Coordinator Hunter Dunn posted about being personally among the protesters. '50501 is a peaceful movement,' its website says. 'Violence of any kind will not be tolerated.' The group's press team did not respond to a request for comment.

Republican senator threatens probe into L.A. immigrant advocates, saying they are 'bankrolling' unrest
Republican senator threatens probe into L.A. immigrant advocates, saying they are 'bankrolling' unrest

Los Angeles Times

time4 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Republican senator threatens probe into L.A. immigrant advocates, saying they are 'bankrolling' unrest

A Republican senator from Missouri threatened an investigation on Wednesday into one of Los Angeles most established immigrant organizations, accusing them of 'bankrolling the unrest.' The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights should 'cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding, or promotion of these unlawful activities,' said Sen. Josh Hawley in a letter sent to the head of the organization, Angelica Salas. 'Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,' wrote Hawley, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. 'Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding, or promotion of these unlawful activities.' Hawley did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Salas, a longtime immigrant rights aactivist who pushed for sanctuary state laws and has organized dozens of peaceful protests over the years, said the accusations are false and pointed to the years of peaceful organizing the group has done in Los Angeles. 'This is trying to take away the spotlight from the pain and suffering that this administration is causing,' she said. 'I refuse to make it about anybody else but them.' On Friday federal officials arrested Service Employees International Union California President Huerta on suspicion of interfering with federal officers. The union is among the group working with the CHIRLA. The top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles Bill Essayli seemed to suggest on Sunday that other union officials and organizers would be investigated. 'We saw union activists and organizers be involved in these efforts to resist our operations,' he told local television station KCAL . 'We've got lots of video online and both surveillance videos. We have FBI teams working around the clock we will identify you. We'll find you and we'll come get you.' Salas said they are doing nothing illegal, but she takes threats seriously. 'It's very clear they have an agenda against social justice organizations and anybody in any infrastructure that supports the community rights organizations.' she said. 'That's why they've not just gone after the immigrant community, but also after organizations, by defunding us, by trying to discredit us, trying to connect us with with like violent groups. This is not normal.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store