LA County Workers End 48-Hour Strike

The 48-hour strike by more than 55,000 Los Angeles County workers ended as scheduled Wednesday evening, Service Employees International Union Local 721 announced.

“Morale is high among our LA County membership, and we have renewed momentum at the bargaining table,” David Green, the SEIU 721 executive director and president said in a statement released coinciding with the 7 p.m. end of the strike. The county noted that SEIU 721 is the county’s largest union, with members in 36 of the county’s 38 departments.

“Our solidarity is strong, and our resolve to protect the vital safety net services our communities rely on has never been more rock solid. LA County should take note: our members will never back down.”

Public works employees, public and mental health professionals, social workers, parks and recreation personnel and other county employees represented by the local began what was called an unfair labor practices strike at 7 p.m. Monday, accusing the county of failing to fairly negotiate a new contract, an accusation the county denies.

The walkout impacted a number of services, with some non-urgent county clinics closed, along with 35 libraries and some beach restrooms. Wildfire clean-up services, trash pick-up and homeless encampment enforcement were also effected.

Los Angeles County Health Services, the county’s integrated health system consisting of the four county-operated hospitals and 25 clinics, announced at 7:24 p.m. that “all services are scheduled to go back to normal” and thanked “the thousands of medical personnel and support teams who continued providing patient care during the strike.”

The union accuses Los Angeles County management of refusing to bargain with union members in good faith, and allege retaliation and surveillance of union members.

The union claims the county’s proposal was a 0% increase for cost of living, and alleges the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was able to spend $205 million on a downtown skyscraper for new office space, while maintaining there’s no money for frontline staff.

The county disputes those claims, saying it offered the union workers a $5,000 bonus in year one as part of a three-year deal that would include “an additional bonus and cost-of-living adjustments.”

“We are trying to strike a balance — fair compensation for our workforce while sustaining services and avoiding layoffs in the midst of some of the worst financial challenges we have ever experienced,” according to the county Chief Executive Office.

County officials noted that the county is facing unprecedented fiscal challenges, including a $4 billion settlement of thousands of sex assault claims and $2 billion in impacts from January’s wildfires “and the potentially catastrophic loss of hundreds of millions or more in federal funding.”

County CEO Fesia Davenport recently released her budget proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year, including 3% cuts to some departments and the elimination of more than 200 vacant positions.

“We are working hard to make sure our labor partners understand the financial reality of our situation,” according to a county statement. “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.”