55,000 Los Angeles County workers go on strike: What we know

LOS ANGELES - Tens of thousands of Los Angeles County employees walked off the job Monday evening as part of a two-day labor action. 

What we know:

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 721 has announced a strike effective Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. until Wednesday, April 30 at 6:59 p.m.

Earlier this month, union officials held a press conference and rally delivering a 10-Day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike Notice to the county. According to union leaders, the ULP Strike will directly impact services for nearly 10 million county residents.

More than 55,000 SEIU 721 members took part in the picketing process. The includes public health and mental health care professionals, social workers, parks & recreation staff, public works personnel, clerical workers; custodians, coroner personnel, beaches & harbors staff, traffic & lighting personnel, and more.

The union cites at least 44 alleged labor law violations during this contract bargaining cycle and claims the county has repeatedly violated labor laws and failed to bargain in good faith on issues including a cost-of-living increase and health insurance. 

During the strike, a broad range of services are expected to be limited or delayed, from public health services to park operations. Residents are told to expect temporary closures or reduced availability while the county is working to maintain delivery of essential services. 

LA County is facing a $47.9 billion budget for 2025–26 that includes deep departmental cuts and terminating hundreds of vacant positions. The union claims the county proposed a 0% cost of living increase while spending on a downtown skyscraper.

For a full list of countywide closures and impacts due to the SEIU 721 strike, you can visit lacounty.gov/closures.

LA County responds

The other side:

The Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office provided the following statement to FOX 11 on Monday:

"Los Angeles County is fully engaged in good faith bargaining with SEIU 721 and we are disappointed that the union is choosing to announce a work action that, if carried out, will affect residents and impact service delivery at a time of great public need. The County disputes the union’s assertion that the County has engaged in unfair labor practices. 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 working hard to make sure our labor partners understand the financial reality of our situation. 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."