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