Latest news with #SEIU721
29-04-2025
- Business
Some 55,000 Los Angeles County workers walk out in 2-day strike, pausing operations
Approximately 55,000 of Los Angeles County's workers have taken to the streets downtown in a massive, two-day protest -- affecting a range of industries, from public services and health care to libraries and park management. Members of the labor union SEIU Local 721 began the strike on Monday night, saying in a press release that failed contract negotiations and 44 alleged labor law violations sparked the walkout. The strike also comes nearly four months after the devastating spate of wildfires burned through parts of Los Angeles County in January, causing billions in damage and a strain on public workers, the union said. "This is the workforce that got LA 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, who has worked as an L.A. County children's social worker for more than two decades said in the union's release. "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 added. The union claims the alleged labor violations include refusal to bargain with union members in good faith, surveillance and retaliation against SEIU 721 members engaged in union activity, restricting union organizers' access to worksites and contracting out of SEIU 721-represented positions. Additionally, the union claims the county's proposal had a 0% increase for workers' cost of living while its board of supervisors financed a $205 million downtown skyscraper for new office space. "These are the very same people telling the workforce – and taxpayers – that there is no money for more services or frontline staff," the union said in the release. In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, L.A. County's Chief Executive Office said it's "committed to negotiating in good faith with SEIU 721, and we are disappointed that the union is opting to stage a strike that will affect residents and impact service delivery at a time of great public need." The department added that it "disputes the union's assertion that the County has engaged in unfair labor practices." The county also cited "unprecedented stresses on our budget" including a $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, according to the statement. Speaking with ABC News' Los Angeles affiliate KABC, L.A. County's Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport said, "We have to monitor our revenues" and explained that the county's growth from property taxes is declining. "Our revenues are down because interest rates are up, and the number of houses that have been sold over the last couple of years have been declining. Our main source of revenue are local property taxes, so even though we get growth every year from property taxes, the amount of that growth is declining," Davenport said. The county is planning to meet with union workers Tuesday night, according to KABC. Marking the first strike of it kind for the union, SEIU 721 members include health, public health and mental health care professionals; social workers; parks and recreation staff; social services eligibility workers; public works personnel; clerical workers; custodians; coroner personnel; beaches and harbors staff; and traffic and lighting personnel, according to the release. The strike could impact non-urgent health clinics, libraries, wildfire debris removal, homeless encampment enforcement and trash pickup services, according to the union.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some 55,000 Los Angeles County workers walk out in 2-day strike, pausing operations
Approximately 55,000 of Los Angeles County's workers have taken to the streets downtown in a massive, two-day protest -- affecting a range of industries, from public services and health care to libraries and park management. Members of the labor union SEIU Local 721 began the strike on Monday night, saying in a press release that failed contract negotiations and 44 alleged labor law violations sparked the walkout. The strike also comes nearly four months after the devastating spate of wildfires burned through parts of Los Angeles County in January, causing billions in damage and a strain on public workers, the union said. "This is the workforce that got LA 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, who has worked as an L.A. County children's social worker for more than two decades said in the union's release. MORE: Arbor Day: How Los Angeles is replanting trees after devastating wildfires "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 added. The union claims the alleged labor violations include refusal to bargain with union members in good faith, surveillance and retaliation against SEIU 721 members engaged in union activity, restricting union organizers' access to worksites and contracting out of SEIU 721-represented positions. Additionally, the union claims the county's proposal had a 0% increase for workers' cost of living while its board of supervisors financed a $205 million downtown skyscraper for new office space. "These are the very same people telling the workforce – and taxpayers – that there is no money for more services or frontline staff," the union said in the release. In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, L.A. County's Chief Executive Office said it's "committed to negotiating in good faith with SEIU 721, and we are disappointed that the union is opting to stage a strike that will affect residents and impact service delivery at a time of great public need." The department added that it "disputes the union's assertion that the County has engaged in unfair labor practices." The county also cited "unprecedented stresses on our budget" including a $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, according to the statement. Speaking with ABC News' Los Angeles affiliate KABC, L.A. County's Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport said, "We have to monitor our revenues" and explained that the county's growth from property taxes is declining. "Our revenues are down because interest rates are up, and the number of houses that have been sold over the last couple of years have been declining. Our main source of revenue are local property taxes, so even though we get growth every year from property taxes, the amount of that growth is declining," Davenport said. The county is planning to meet with union workers Tuesday night, according to KABC. MORE: Several injured, including children, after minivan drives into crowd in Los Angeles Marking the first strike of it kind for the union, SEIU 721 members include health, public health and mental health care professionals; social workers; parks and recreation staff; social services eligibility workers; public works personnel; clerical workers; custodians; coroner personnel; beaches and harbors staff; and traffic and lighting personnel, according to the release. The strike could impact non-urgent health clinics, libraries, wildfire debris removal, homeless encampment enforcement and trash pickup services, according to the union. Further information on closures and service delays can be found out Some 55,000 Los Angeles County workers walk out in 2-day strike, pausing operations originally appeared on
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
More than 55,000 LA County workers go on strike, disrupting numerous public services
More than 55,000 LA County workers go on strike, disrupting numerous public services Tens of thousands of Los Angeles County workers went on strike Monday night, citing county management's "law-breaking and failure to bargain in good faith." "The ULP Strike will directly impact more than 55,000 LA employees represented by SEIU 721 as well as nearly 10 million county residents," the union said in a news release on April 18. The union said that although plans will be put in place to ensure that emergency health services continue unimpeded, SEIU 721's LA County ULP Strike "would be the first of its kind in Los Angeles County history." The union represents county workers across many sectors, including public health, social workers, parks & recreation staff, clerical workers, beaches & harbors staff, and custodians, among others, according to the news release. 'This is the workforce that got LA County through emergency after emergency: the January wildfires, public health emergencies, mental health emergencies, social service emergencies and more,' said David Green, SEIU 721's Executive Director and President, in the news release. '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 said. SEIU 721 and the Los Angeles County government did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment Tuesday morning. Why are LA County workers striking? SEIU 721 said in the news release that since servicing LA County through the COVID pandemic and the recent wildfires, it has been on the "receiving end of management's repeated law-breaking, bearing the brunt of at least 44 alleged labor law violations during this contract bargaining cycle." The union alleges that LA County is refusing to bargain with union members in good faith and has been conducting "surveillance and retaliation against SEIU 721 members engaged in union activity." Additionally, the union says the county is restricting union organizers' access to worksites and contracting out of SEIU 721-represented positions. The union's contract expired at the end of March. 2025 Kentucky Derby payout, purse: What to know about prize money at Churchill Downs How long will the LA County workers strike last? According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, the strike is set to last until 7 p.m. local time Wednesday. Libraries and some healthcare clinics will be closed, wildfire beach debris cleanup may be paused, and service counters at the Hall of Administration could be shut down, the LA Times reports. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
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.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
"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.
