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More than 50,000 Los Angeles County workers were hit by strike again Tuesday, closing libraries and disrupting administrative operations across the country’s most populous county.
According to the Service Employing Employees International Union Rocal 721, the two-day strike that began Monday follows a failed negotiation with the county for a new contract after it ended in March.
The union represents employees working in the county of 10 million residents, including public health professionals, social workers, park and recreational staff, custodians and administrative workers. The union said it would be the first time that all of its approximately 55,000 members have taken a strike.
“This is the workforce that won LA County through post-emergency emergency. The wildfires of January, public health emergencies, mental health emergencies, social services emergencies, etc.” “That’s why we have it for violations of labor law and we respect workers.”
Working actions are set to last until 7pm on Wednesday. During this period, the library, several healthcare clinics, beach bathrooms and public service counters in the management hall are expected to close. The county said services in the medical examination room and public works department could also be affected.
LA County says it faces a staggering budget hole from a $4 billion settlement for wildfire-related costs and sexual abuse claims. Conan Nolan is reporting NBC4 News on Monday, April 28th, 2025 at 5pm.
The union accused 44 counties of violations of labor laws while negotiating the lawsuit. This includes surveillance and retaliation against workers engaged in union activities, as well as contracts in positions represented by the union.
LA County says it faces “unprecedented stress” in its budget, including a $4 billion interim settlement of thousands of pediatric sexual assault claims, the $2 billion impact related to the January LA wildfire, and potential losses in federal funds of hundreds of millions of yen.
“We don’t want to negotiate ourselves with a structural deficit, which could lead to layoffs and reduced services,” spokesman Elizabeth Marcelino said in a statement from the CEO. “We’re trying to balance it out: fair compensation for the workforce while maintaining our services and avoiding layoffs amid some of the worst financial challenges we’ve ever experienced.”
The city of LA is facing similar financial challenges. Mayor Karen Bass’ recently proposed budget includes 1,600 layoffs in a nearly $1 billion deficit.
More than 150 county workers won a picket outside the Los Angeles General Medical Center on Monday, raising a sign that reads “We are a safety net!”
Lillian Cabral, who has worked at the hospital since 1978, said the strike was a “historic moment” involving staff from the emergency room and radiology department to custodians.
Cabral is part of the negotiation committee and said he is unhappy with the long delays and the process with little movement from the county.
“It’s very unfair to us and very unfair to our patients, our clients and our community,” Cabral said.
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