On April 29, 2025, Los Angeles County saw a significant disruption as tens of thousands of workers took to the streets.  The workers, members of SEIU Local 721, were protesting what they saw as unfair treatment and a failure to negotiate a new contract.  This was not just any strike.  It was the first time in the county's history that all members of SEIU Local 721 had walked off the job together.  This included social workers, nurses, clerical staff, and other public employees.

    The strike led to the closure of libraries, non-urgent health clinics, and parks.  Public service counters throughout the county were operating at a snail's pace.  Even wildfire debris clearance was put on hold.  The impact was felt across the county, and it was clear that the workers were serious about their demands.

    The workers gathered at the county Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles.  They wore their signature royal purple T-shirts and brought along purple cowbells to make their presence known.  The atmosphere was charged with energy and determination.  The union had accused the county of 44 labor law violations, including retaliation and outsourcing jobs that should have been filled by union workers.  The workers were also unhappy with the pay offered by the county, which they saw as insulting.

    Mike Long, a spokesperson for the union, reported that 14 members were arrested for refusing to disperse after a march.  This was a deliberate move to highlight the seriousness of their situation.  The union's leader, David Green, addressed the crowd, reminding them of the zero raise offer they had received in the fall.  He asked, "Do we deserve zeros? "

    The county's Chief Executive, Fesia Davenport, had a different perspective.  She acknowledged that the county had moved away from the zero raise offer but remained cautious about what they could afford.  The county was facing significant financial challenges, and Davenport was concerned about negotiating themselves into a structural deficit.  She warned that the county might have to cut positions in the future, similar to what Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had proposed.

    The county had offered SEIU Local 721 members a $5, 000 bonus in the first year of the contract, along with a cost-of-living adjustment and an additional bonus.  However, the union saw this as inadequate.  Steve Koffroth, SEIU’s chief contract negotiator, accused the county of waiting until the last moment to respond to the union’s first proposal.  The previous contract had expired at the end of March, and the union had submitted their proposal before Christmas.  Koffroth told the crowd that the county's counteroffer was a "pittance. "

    The county had cited wildfire costs, a massive sex abuse settlement, and the loss of federal grants as reasons for their financial constraints.  However, union members alleged that the county had spent too much money on outside contract workers rather than filling vacancies.  They pointed to a union-led study from December that found the county had spent billions on private firms, creating a "taxpayer-to-private-sector-pipeline. "  The county dismissed the report as a misleading negotiation tactic.

    The reliance on contractors was particularly evident in healthcare.  Union members noted that vacancies were often filled by highly paid contract workers.  Theresa Velasco, a community health worker at Rancho Los Amigos, the county rehabilitation hospital, asked, "How would you feel if someone comes into your hospital for three weeks and makes four times your salary and leaves you? "

Los Angeles County Workers Make a Stand

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