Latest news with #LACountyBoardofSupervisors
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
About 55,000 Los Angeles County workers go on strike, pausing some services
Tens of thousands of people who work for Los Angeles County went on strike Monday night, consequently disrupting some public services. The members of labor union SEIU 721 walked off their jobs after 7 p.m. Monday in an effort to negotiate for a new and fair contract with the county. Promising not to impact law enforcement and first responder services, this strike could, however, pause services ranging from parks and libraries to healthcare and social work. The union represents frontline workers, hundreds of whom were seen joining a picket line outside LA General Medical Center on Monday night – the first of the two-day strike. 'We are in the business of healthcare. We would never leave our patients in danger walking out,' Kelly Zhou, a nurse anesthetist, told KTLA's Carlos Saucedo. 'We gave 10 days' notice – this is the last resort.' SEIU 721 claims the county has repeatedly violated labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on cost-of-living increases and health insurance. 'We've had to file 44 unfair labor practice charges against them,' said David Green, president and executive director of SEIU 721. 'It includes everything from not giving a fair deal at the table, not bargaining in good faith, health and safety issues.' According to the union's website, this Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike will directly impact more than 55,000 employees represented by SEIU 721 as well as nearly 10 million county residents. 'Also, we're talking about filling vacancies, there are 12 thousand vacancies in LA county right now,' added Green, 'And a huge amount of outsourcing, almost 7.8 billion in outsourcing. So these are all things we're talking about at the bargaining table.' The strike will close libraries and some healthcare clinics, and wildfire beach debris cleanup could also be affected. The union's contract expired at the end of March with no resolution in sight. 'All the healthcare providers are stressed and stretched thin, yet they're spending billions of dollars on contracting out,' said Zhou. 'I am open to creative solutions, but the bottom line is simple: we must not write checks that cannot be cashed,' Kathryn Barger, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. 'Fiscal responsibility must guide our negotiations to both ensure the long-term stability of the County's services and operations and protect County jobs. Neither should be sacrificed.' For more information on closures, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dolores Huerta, labor leader and civil rights activist, celebrates 95th birthday
The Brief Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta turned 95 on Thursday. The LA County Board of Supervisors proclaimed April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day. LOS ANGELES - Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta celebrated her 95th birthday on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Thursday as Dolores Huerta Day. What we know Supervisor Hilda Solis, who introduced the motion, lauded Huerta for inspiring her life and career and joked that she didn't "look a day over 30." Huerta, who attended the meeting with her two daughters, beamed with pride, calling the supervisors the "face of courage" and thanking them for honoring her. "When Coretta Scott King said, `We will never have peace in the world until women take power,' and to see all of you great supervisors here is showing that example to women," Huerta said, referring to the fact that all five county supervisors are women. The backstory Dolores Clara Fernández was born April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico and moved to Stockton, California at age 3 with her mother after her parents divorced. Witnessing racism against Latino-Americans from early on inspired her toward activism. The National Museum of Women's History lists two significant events she witnessed as a child: when a prejudiced schoolteacher accused her of cheating because her papers were too well-written and in 1945 at the end of World War II, when white men brutally beat her brother for wearing a popular Latino fashion Zoot-Suit. She took up her last name after marrying her second husband and fellow activist Ventura Huerta. She received an associate teaching degree from the University of the Pacific's Delta College and briefly taught school in the 1950s. Working with hungry farm children coming to school motivated her in organizing farmers and farm workers. In 1955, she founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which led voter registration drives and fought for economic stability for Latinos, according to the motion introduced by Solis. Huerta met activist César Chávez through an associate and in 1962, the pair founded the National Farm Workers Association, the predecessor of the United Farm Workers' Union. Huerta served as UFW vice president until 1999. At the UFW, she negotiated contracts and ardently advocated for safer working conditions, including the elimination of harmful pesticides, and for unemployment and health care benefits for agricultural workers. In 1973, Huerta led a consumer boycott, resulting in the ground-breaking California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. Throughout her career, Huerta has worked to improve workers' legislative representation and toward electing more Latinos and women. Solis listed some of her numerous accolades, including the Eugene V. Debs Foundation Outstanding American Award, the U.S. Presidential Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. What they're saying "Dolores, your life and legacy are an integral part of our collective history and resistance," Solis said, "I'm deeply honored to be a part of it, and in knowing you and serving alongside you as you mentored me and so many others." "Dolores Huerta's contributions to Los Angeles County and to Latinos across the country have inspired generations of leaders fighting for justice for all," Solis later said in a statement. "Now more than ever, we honor Dolores Huerta for her work as one of the most influential labor activists of our time and celebrate her 95th birthday. On this Dolores Huerta Day, may her legacy continue to light a fire in us all." Huerta returned the praise, calling Solis "modest" and noting that she "never really brags about herself or talks about the work that she's done." Recalling Solis' advocacy against femicides in Mexico, Huerta congratulated her for achieving a significant milestone for women across borders. Fellow Supervisor Janice Hahn recalled the grapes boycott and said it empowered women to take charge, even at a time when they were not working. "My dad was a civil rights leader himself, but it was my mom who refused to buy grapes at the grocery store," Hahn said. The board passed a similar motion in 2024, proclaiming April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day. "Today, we reflect on your passion to overcome challenges and make reality the changes we want the entire world to see," Board Chair Kathryn Barger said Tuesday. "Happy birthday and we look forward to celebrating you at 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100." "I'm honored to receive this recognition from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who work tirelessly to make Los Angeles County a vibrant home for all," said Huerta in a statement. "I accept this on behalf of Los Angeles' working people, especially our immigrant community, whose labor supports families and children. The Supervisors have gone above and beyond to assist immigrants, and as we face challenges ahead, it's vital to continue supporting their bold, compassionate leadership for our most underserved communities."
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
LA County officials will provide an update on debris removal, extension of relief grants
A week after Phase 1 of the debris removal process was completed, Los Angeles County officials will be providing an update Wednesday morning about the progress of Phase 2. At a news conference, officials will also provide information regarding weather preparedness regarding the upcoming rainstorms that will increase the potential of thunderstorms and debris flow in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas. To prepare for the upcoming weather event, Sierra Madre city leaders have issued an evacuation warning in anticipation of debris flow and unsafe conditions. Last week, LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger announced the launch of the Household Relief Grant. According to a press release, officials will be providing an update about the extension of application deadlines for the grants.
CBS News
26-02-2025
- General
- CBS News
Officials to provide update on debris removal in Los Angeles, announce opening of relief grants
Weeks after the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires, crews continue to make progress in the debris removal process working to clear fire-affected properties from toxic materials. At a weekly news conference Wednesday morning, officials will provide an update on recovery efforts and will announce the opening of applications for the County's Household Relief Grants. The county plans to provide direct financial relief for homeowners and tenants who were most affected by the fires. Phase 1 of the debris removal process being handled by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency for hazardous household material is expected to be completed by the end of the week. Phase 2 by the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the remaining fire debris. Residents in several areas near landfills across the county have expressed their concerns over the fire debris being dumped. At a meeting Tuesday night, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a controversial plan that will increase the daily dumping limits in three county landfills.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California wildfires recovery updates: Monday, Feb. 17
LOS ANGELES - As crews work to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous materials from the Los Angeles wildfires, researchers and officials are trying to understand how the fires on land have impacted the sea. The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched thousands of homes, businesses, cars and electronics, turning everyday items into hazardous ash made of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, heavy metals and more. Since much of it could end up in the Pacific Ocean, there are concerns and many unknowns about how the fires could affect life under the sea. Los Angeles County officials, with help from other agencies, have set thousands of feet of concrete barriers, sandbags, silt socks and more to prevent debris from reaching beaches. The LA County Board of Supervisors also recently passed a motion seeking state and federal help to expand beach cleanups, prepare for storm runoff and test ocean water for potential toxins and chemicals, among other things. Follow FOX 11's live blog with the latest updates provided on the Jan. 2025 fires in Southern California: 9:45 a.m.: A protest is planned at the Calabasas landfill at 10 a.m. addressing the dumping of toxic ash and debris from the Palisades Fire. "This decision poses a major health risk to residents, as well as to the surrounding environment, and we need your help to raise awareness before it's too late," protest organizers said. "The landfill is in close proximity to homes, schools, and parks, putting thousands of people—including children and seniors—at risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and heavy metals contained in the ash. The long-term effects of this contamination could be devastating, and yet, this plan is moving forward with little transparency or public input." 9:30 a.m.: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has addressed her trip to Africa during January's deadly Los Angeles wildfires. "Yeah, absolutely, there is no question about that," Bass told local media when asked directly if the trip was a mistake. RELATED COVERAGE: LA Mayor Bass admits Ghana trip before wildfires was a mistake 8:20 a.m.: Residents impacted by the Eaton Fire are encouraged to attend a town hall happening Wednesday at 6 p.m. at The Westin in Pasadena. Officials will discuss investigation updates and provide legal options for homeowners and business owners. 7:45 a.m.: The Disaster Recovery Center in Los Angeles will open three hours late Monday at noon, but the center at Altadena will open at 9 a.m. Both centers will remain open until 7 p.m. 7 a.m.: Major cleanup work continues at the famed Duke's restaurant in Malibu. The popular seafood restaurant was spared from the fires, but was recently inundated with mud during last week's atmospheric river. The Source Information for this story is from previous FOX 11 reports. The Associated Press and City News Service contributed.
