(The Center Square) – Over 11,0000 City of Los Angeles workers went on 24 hour strike today while claiming negotiations between their union, SEIU 721, and the city for their new contract starting in January stalled.
A union representing public sector employees, SEIU 721 claims to have over 98,000 members in the Southern California region. While the city and SEIU 721 do have a contract in effect through the end of the year, the city and the union are at odds over specific further demands made for the union’s evolving contract starting next January.
In a statement, SEIU 721 claims, “the city has flat-out refused to honor previous agreements at the bargaining table, prompting workers to file Unfair Labor Practice charges with the City of Los Angeles Employee Relations Board.” Despite these allegations, SEIU’s statement failed to outline what these failures are, and what they are demanding for their new contract.
However, specific charges alleged by the SEIU in a Facebook post included: “the failure to bargain in good faith over hundreds of proposals at the table, sending negotiators to the table without authority to bargain, the restriction of union access to worksites, and retaliation against union leaders organizing at their worksites…we’re striking for respect, plain and simple — and if we don’t get it we’ll shut it down.”
City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke out against the union’s claims of bad faith negotiations, noting in a statement, “They deserve fair contracts, and we have been bargaining in good faith with SEIU 721 since January. The city will always be available to make progress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
While SEIU is no longer affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the main confederation of labor unions in the United States, the local Los Angeles County AFL-CIO took to social media to celebrate with a post of protestors saying, “On strike, shut it down, LA City is uniontown.”
While some city services, such as parking enforcement and sanitation would be impacted by what is city workers’ first strike since 1980, Bass clarified in a statement that first-responders would continue to operate. “My office is implementing a plan ensuring no public safety or housing and homelessness emergency operations are impacted by this action,” Bass said.
With the strike announced to be lasting only one day, and public sector unions serving as the most powerful bloc in the city, elected officials ranging from congresspeople to city councilmembers voiced their support.
“It’s time for the city to come back to the table and negotiate an excellent contract for working families,” said Senate candidate and serving member of Congress Adam Schiff (D—Hollywood) in a statement shared by SEIU.
“Our city workers provide essential services to our entire community, and they deserve a fair contract that honors the work they perform,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park in response to a request for comment. “I appreciate the patience of our community members as we navigate this one-day labor action.”
