More than 55,000 Los Angeles County union workers in hospitals, social services, public health and other county departments represented by SEIU 721 are ready to walk off the job because of the county’s failure to honor its labor contract, union leaders said Tuesday.
SEIU 721 President David Green told members at a public meeting Tuesday outside the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles that members have been authorized to strike by a 99% vote.
“This is the worst disrespect I’ve seen in my 24 years as an LA County employee,” Green said.
The move does not guarantee a strike, but union officials have said that if their concerns are not addressed, workers will walk off the job on October 10. It is unclear how long the strike could last.
LA County officials said in a statement that the county is “disappointed that labor has chosen to preemptively and needlessly engage in heated rhetoric, including baseless accusations and threats of unlawful attacks that will endanger the County’s most vulnerable residents.”
Hundreds of county workers dressed in royal purple flooded Temple Street on Tuesday for the announcement, ringing cowbells and swaying to Pitbull’s “I Believe We Will Win.” Speakers accused the district of “playing games” with the contract and taking away front-line workers.
“The long and the short of it, there were a lot of victories achieved in the last contract,” said Eloy Alvarez, regional director for the union. “And LA County is using shady tactics to delay implementation.”
The walkout could have a seismic effect on county services: SEIU 721 represents more than half of the county’s workforce, according to the county chief executive’s office. Its members include nurses, social workers, librarians, clerks and some other workers, and make up the majority of county employees in important departments that handle social services, elections, county libraries and family services.
SEIU 721 leaders said workers are angry that the district has failed to follow through on an agreement with the union in 2022, a deal that expires in March 2025. table,” such as union steward rights.
The union said that many parts of the labor agreement on the district’s website were inaccurate, not reflecting what was agreed to at the bargaining table by SEIU 721. In a lengthy complaint, the union said that the document sent to the public was missing some parts. , includes words that limit some types of employee bonuses, and does not have some anticipated edits to the language of the agreement.
County management responded to the union’s concerns in a letter in August, saying that no apparent errors have been confirmed to have caused a known loss of pay or benefits for employees.
SEIU 721 said it has filed more than 20 “unfair labor practices” for wrongful language in contracts and other violations such as using contractors to perform the jobs of union members, including psychiatric and janitorial workers, without consulting the union. .
Green said in an interview that “if you have a lot of outsourcing and it doesn’t work, it violates the principles that we believe in.” Other allegations revolve around alleged retaliation for union activities, such as suspending union stewards for raising concerns at meetings, SEIU 721 said.
LA County said in a statement that it “looks forward to a robust and productive bargaining session with our labor partners,” noting that the county is not yet at the bargaining table with SEIU 721.
“Contrary to the union’s statement, the District has worked productively with its union partners for years to provide a valued workforce with ample and competitive wages and benefits — and we will continue to do so,” the district’s statement said.
The county added Tuesday that it is exploring options to respond to “threats of unlawful attacks” and ensure that essential county services are not disrupted.
SEIU 721 has taken similar job actions before. Last year, Los Angeles city workers represented by a union staged a one-day strike, saying they protested unfair labor practices by management. The walkout disrupted several municipal services, including garbage collection and the arrival of container ships at the Port of Los Angeles.
