The union representing workers employed with the city of Los Angeles announced on Friday, Aug. 4, that members will head to the picket lines early Tuesday morning for a 24-hour strike to protest what they deemed a refusal to bargain in good faith.
Sanitation workers, heavy duty mechanics, traffic officers, engineers and many more city workers, who are represented by SEIU 721, plan to walk off the job to protest city management and other “unfair labor practices restricting employee and union rights,” according to a statement from the union.
Los Angeles city officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, workers will meet at City Hall for a march and rally, though picket lines will begin as early as 4 a.m.
“Despite repeated attempts by city workers to engage management in a fair bargaining process, the city has flat-out refused to honor previous agreements at the bargaining table, prompting workers to file charges alleging unfair labor practices with the city of Los Angeles Employee Relations Board,” SEIU 721 officials said in a statement.
In May, city workers represented by SEIU 721 voted overwhelmingly, with 98% approval, to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike — a first by city workers in more than 40 years.
“(The strike) comes at a watershed moment for the city, with officials preparing for the World Cup and Olympic Games in the coming years,” SEIU 721 said in a statement. “Both events promise to have long-lasting impacts on the entire Southern California region, with a massive influx of tourists and athletes putting an enormous strain on the city’s frontline services, all on the world stage.”
David Green, president and executive director of SEIU 721, told City News Service that on Tuesday there’s going to be 30-plus strike lines all across the city.
Green said there would be thousands of people just at City Hall late that morning. “We are going to be throughout the entire city striking…
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