Arrests made as 55K workers go on strike in LA County

LOS ANGELES - An estimated 55,000 Los Angeles County employees who walked off the job hit the picket lines on Tuesday. 

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

What we know:

A two-day strike was called by the Service Employees International Union, Local 721. 

Union leaders said in response to failed negotiations with the county over a new three-and-a-half-year contract. The SEIU represents more than 55,000 county employees, including health care professionals, social workers, custodians, clerical workers and many more across the county of 10 million residents. 

The union accused the county of 44 labor law violations during contract negotiations and refusing to bargain in good faith.

"We’re angry, upset, and we're tired. We're tired of trying to rely on the county to tell us that they're going to do the right thing and here we are again. Here we are, again, with the county putting us on the back burner," an LA County employee told FOX 11. 

The strike is expected to disrupt or delay some public services, including the temporary closures of some library locations, delays in fire debris and homeless encampment cleanups and even the closure of several non-urgent health care clinics.

Police eventually moved in and peacefully arrested the protesters one- by-one. The arrestees were quickly processed, cited and released at the scene.

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‘It has a negative impact across the board’

The other side:

Los Angeles County officials said they’re facing unprecedented stresses on its budget, including a projected $2 billion impact from the January wildfires and the potential loss of hundreds of millions in federal funding. 

"It has a negative impact across the board, but more importantly, even for the employees, you know, I've talked to them, this is not something that they want to do. We know that we've got to be transparent with our financing, but we also have a responsibility to have a balanced budget that does not produce checks that can't be cashed," said Kathryn Barger, Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors.