A wide range of Los Angeles County public employees went on strike Monday evening over alleged labor law violations, according to union and county officials.
Service Employees International Union members totaling more than 55,000 were expected to start the strike at 7 p.m. SEIU members are from many county departments including Public Works and Public Health, social workers, Medical Examiner Department personnel, parks staff, clerical workers, custodians, Beaches and Harbors Department staff, traffic and street lighting technicians, Treasurer/Tax Collector staff and Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk workers.
The strike could result in disruptions to services for residents, including nonemergency health clinics, libraries, wildfire debris removal, trash collection and homeless encampment enforcement.
The work stoppage will be the first of its kind in LA County, according to the union.
“LA County management keeps breaking the law — and we have had enough,” David Green, SEIU Local 721 executive director and president, said in a statement. “They’ve stalled contract negotiations for months. And they’ve committed at least 44 labor law violations to date. Clearly, they thought they were above the law. They thought we would never go on (an unfair labor practices) strike. They thought wrong.”
The union is calling for the county to raise employees’ wages and fill job vacancies instead of using contractors.
The SEIU claims LA County management refuses to bargain with union officials in good faith, in addition to allegations of retaliation and surveillance of union members.
According to the union, while county management proposed a 0% cost-of-living increase for employees, the county Board of Supervisors spent $205 million on a downtown skyscraper for new office space amid claims that there’s no money for more services or frontline staff.
On April 15, the Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval to county CEO Fesia Davenport’s recommended $47.9 billion 2025-26 budget. The upcoming fiscal year’s spending plan cited huge expenses coming the county’s way, including $4 billion in payouts for sexual assault settlements and $2 billion in costs associated with the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in January.
“Los Angeles County is fully engaged in good faith bargaining with SEIU 721 and we are disappointed that the union is choosing to announce a work action that, if carried out, will affect residents and impact service delivery at a time of great public need,” according to a statement from the county’s Chief Executive Office. “The county disputes the union’s assertion that the county has engaged in unfair labor practices. The county is facing unprecedented stresses on our budget, including a tentative $4 billion settlement of thousands of childhood sexual assault claims brought under AB 218, a projected $2 billion in impacts related to the January wildfires and recovery, and the potentially catastrophic loss of hundreds of millions or more in federal funding. We are working hard to make sure our labor partners understand the financial reality of our situation.”
County management said its negotiators “have 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.”
County managers also challenged the union’s assertion that the county is proposing a 0% cost of living increase for 2025-26.
“It is not correct to say the county is currently offering 0% COLAs,” according to the statement. “The county is offering what we believe is a fair three-year compensation package, considering the tremendous amount of budgetary pressures we face. We do not want to negotiate ourselves into a structural deficit — which could lead to layoffs and service reductions.”
On the downtown office space, officials said the Gas Co. Tower deal featured a “historically low price, saving the county more than $1 billion in seismic and life safety renovations and providing a safe and modern work environment for county employees. It’s incorrect to suggest that the type of funding used to buy a building is the same type of funding needed to pay for raises.”
Officials said the Gas Co. Tower was a one-time purchase made with one-time funding, unlike cost of living increases for employees that continue each year “and must be funded with ongoing funding.” The cost of living increases in the last three-year labor contract represents over $1.7 billion in ongoing budget costs, according to the Chief Executive Office.
Union leadership blasted county management for what they said were unfair labor practices that violated the law.
“What LA County is doing is very serious and it is very wrong,” Gilda Valdez, SEIU 721 chief of staff, said in a statement. “When someone commits a ULP violation, they are breaking the law. That’s what LA County management and the Board of Supervisors are doing. In fact, they are saying they are above the law. They are saying that our union must follow the law — but the law doesn’t apply to them. They are saying that our contract only matters when they say it matters. They are saying that they can ignore whatever they want, whenever they want — but we can’t. … All of us need to demand that LA County bargain in good faith. …
“Our contract is all we’ve got,” Valdez added. “It’s our protection. It’s our shield. It’s everything. And we need to let everyone know that we will fight like hell to protect it.”
Steve Koffroth, the union’s director of collective bargaining and research, said in a statement, “In my time with SEIU 721, I have negotiated many contracts and never have I seen such blatant disrespect. Right from the beginning, our union respected the law and bargained in good faith. In contrast, the county is allegedly guilty of not one, not two, but 44 labor law violations. I have never seen anything like this in my 35-year career. It’s clear that nothing will change if we don’t demand it. LA County is flagrantly and continually breaking the law — and we are done letting them get away with it.”
County officials called for a review of the ULP allegations by the county’s Employee Relations Commission, known as ERCOM.
“The union has chosen to go on strike rather than waiting for ERCOM to resolve the large number of claims that SEIU has filed,” according to the Chief Executive Office. “The county disagrees with these charges — most of which have not yet been adjudicated — and we are looking forward to having these claims resolved; not through unverified statements in press releases but at the Employee Relations Commission.”
Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement, “Fiscal responsibility must guide our negotiations to both ensure the long-term stability of the county’s services and operations and protect county jobs. Neither must be sacrificed.”
The county’s workers are “the heartbeat of Los Angeles County, delivering vital services that millions of residents rely upon every day,” Barger said. “I strongly support fair and competitive compensation for our employees and recognize the critical role they play in the County’s success. …
“I remain hopeful that both the county and labor representatives will come to the table with a shared commitment to reaching a balanced agreement — one that is responsive to the needs of our workforce while also acknowledging the fiscal realities the county is grappling with,” Barger said. “I am open to creative solutions, but the bottom line is simple: we must not write checks that cannot be cashed.”
Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement Tuesday that while she understands workers’ concerns, “We must confront the reality of the county’s current financial challenges. The county is preparing for a $1.3 billion reduction in the upcoming budget year. … In addition, we are navigating the federal budget cuts from the Trump Administration that are already severely impacting essential services across our Departments of Public Health, Health Services and Public Social Services.
“Given these constraints, I strongly urge both SEIU leadership and county management to stay at the table and continue negotiating in good faith,” Solis said. “We need to find a fair and sustainable solution that ensures we can continue to serve the residents of Los Angeles County, especially those relying on our hospitals. We are facing critical staffing shortages, particularly in our emergency rooms, which is putting additional strain on our teams.”
The District 1 supervisor called for “honest dialogue and mutual compromise” in order to “reach an agreement that protects both our workers and the safety net that so many Angelenos depend on,” Solis said. “This is a moment when we must all work together — not against one another — so that we can continue providing the essential services our community needs.”
LA County Library issued a statement Saturday about the pending strike.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are preparing our operations for the strike’s potential impact on library services,” County Librarian Skye Patrick said. “In the event we have to temporarily close our libraries, we recommend customers access our Digital Library, which is open 24/7. We encourage customers to stay informed by checking our website for regular updates as the events unfold.”
The strike was scheduled to end Tuesday at 7 p.m.
LACounty.gov/closures provided updates on impacts to services during the strike.
Updated April 30, 2025, 12:04 p.m.
