More than 50,000 Los Angeles County workers went on strike again Tuesday, closing libraries and undermining administrative actions in the nation’s most populous county.
According to Service Employs International International Union 721, the two-day strike that began Monday comes after negotiations on a new contract with the county failed, according to Service Employs International International Union 721.
Union representatives include public health professionals, social workers, park and recreational staff, trustees, paperworkers, and other employees serving 10 million resident counties. The union said it would be the first strike of about 55,000 members.
"This is to make the workforce in Los Angeles County through emergency situations: wildfires in January, public health emergencies, mental health emergencies, social service emergencies, and more," union leader David Green said in a statement. "That's why we violate labor laws and demand respect for workers."
Labor Action is set to Wednesday at 7 p.m. During this period, the executive hall's libraries, some medical clinics, beach bathrooms and public service counters are expected to be closed. The county said some other services from the Medical Examiner’s Office and the Public Works Department could also be affected.
The union accused the county of 44 violations of labor laws during contract negotiations, including surveillance and retaliation against workers engaged in union activities and signed the position of union representatives.
Los Angeles County said it faces "unprecedented pressure" on its budget, including a tentative $4 billion settlement that includes thousands of claims for child sexual assault, an expected impact related to LA Wildfires in January and a $100 trillion loss of federal funds.
“We don’t want to fall into a structural deficit, which could lead to layoffs and reduced services,” a spokesman Elizabeth Marcellino said in a statement from the CEO’s office. “We are working to balance: provide fair compensation to our workforce while maintaining services and avoiding layoffs in some of the worst financial challenges we have encountered.”
The city of Los Angeles is facing similar financial difficulties – Mayor Karen Bass recently proposed budget includes a deficit of nearly $1 billion, which includes 1,600 layoffs in city workers.
More than 150 county workers picketed outside the General Medical Center in Los Angeles on Monday and put forward the sign “We are the safety net!” which read “We are the safety net!”
Lillian Cabral, who has been working in the hospital since 1978, said the strike was a "historic moment" involving emergency rooms and radiology departments to the custodian staff.
Cabral is part of the bargaining committee and said she is frustrated by the process's long delays and the movement in almost no counties.
“It’s so unfair to us, so unfair to our patients, as well as our clients and our communities,” Cabral said.