Massive L.A. County Worker Strike Shuts Down Public Services

Tens of thousands of people who work for Los Angeles County continued striking Tuesday, consequently disrupting some public services.

L.A. County Workers Strike En Masse, Halting Services Amid Contract Clash

DECK
Historic walkout by 55,000 union members stalls clinics, libraries, and essential services as tensions mount over labor rights and budget strains

KEY FACTS

1. What: Two-day strike by SEIU Local 721 demanding better contract terms

2. Where: Los Angeles County, California

3. When: Began Monday evening, full-scale action Tuesday

4. Why: Alleged labor violations, low pay offers, and overreliance on contractors

5. Impact: Delays in public services; closures of libraries, clinics, and parks

6. Arrests: 14 demonstrators taken into custody during Tuesday march

SITUATION SNAPSHOT
Downtown Los Angeles turned into a sea of royal purple as thousands of county employees rallied outside the Hall of Administration. Their chants echoed through blocked streets while cowbells rang out in defiance, underscoring a rare show of unity in a labor dispute that has disrupted vital services across the region.

WHAT WE KNOW
SEIU Local 721, representing 55,000 Los Angeles County employees, launched a two-day strike that marks the first time the union has mobilized all its members in a unified walkout.
Public facilities—including non-urgent health clinics, libraries, and parks—have shuttered or scaled back operations. Essential services like wildfire debris removal have also been affected.
Union officials say the strike is in response to 44 alleged labor law breaches by the county, ranging from retaliatory actions to the outsourcing of jobs meant for union workers.
Mike Long, an SEIU spokesperson, confirmed that 14 demonstrators were arrested Tuesday after refusing to leave a post-rally march route, describing the action as deliberate civil disobedience to highlight the workers’ grievances.

WHAT’S NEXT
County officials are expected to continue negotiations with the union this week. Press conferences from both sides may clarify their stances. Budget revisions and service impact assessments are likely to follow if the strike stretches further.

VOICES ON THE GROUND
"Does anyone remember what they tried to give us in the fall? Zeroes," declared union president David Green, drawing cheers and the clang of purple cowbells. "Do we deserve zeros?"
“We don’t want to negotiate ourselves into a structural deficit,” said L.A. County Chief Executive Fesia Davenport. “We want to hold the line.”
“How would you feel if someone comes into your hospital for three weeks and makes four times your salary and leaves you,” asked Theresa Velasco, a community health worker at Rancho Los Amigos.

CONTEXT
The current labor unrest comes amid mounting financial stress in Los Angeles County, including wildfire recovery expenses, legal payouts, and vanishing federal aid. Earlier this month, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass proposed eliminating 1,650 city positions to help close a near $1 billion budget gap—largely attributed to employee pay increases agreed to in the previous year.
The county has countered with a package that includes a $5,000 upfront bonus, a cost-of-living adjustment, and a supplemental bonus. Yet union leaders argue the response is inadequate and belated, accusing the county of sitting on contract proposals for months.
A December study commissioned by SEIU revealed billions spent on private contractors—a trend union leaders say undermines public workforce investment and shortchanges full-time employees. County officials have dismissed that report as “misleading and erroneous.”

REPORTER INSIGHT
From the plaza steps outside L.A.’s Hall of Administration, the tension is palpable. Workers chant, “Respect us!” while holding placards aloft in the midday heat. Despite the defiance in the air, many speak with a mix of anger and weariness—frustrated not just by pay but by what they see as a hollowing out of the public workforce. The strike is not merely about dollars, but dignity.