For months, our elected bargaining teams have negotiated with City officials around the clock to secure a strong new contract that reflects our priorities: competitive wages, solving the understaffing crisis, defending and expanding healthcare, protecting our secure retirement, and winning an even stronger union voice on the job.
Unfortunately, our demands have been met with silence.
Even worse, the City has engaged in repeated labor law violations throughout the bargaining process – refusing to provide information needed for bargaining, surveilling members as they engage in union activity, limiting union access to our worksites, and pressuring members not to take part in our historic 1-day strike in August.
As a result, we’ve filed numerous Unfair Labor Practice charges against City management. Our original charges are still unresolved and heading to hearing. Now, we’re ready to take it to the next level.
Tomorrow, we’re beginning our strike authorization vote to send a clear message to city officials: We’re ready to walk off the job to sound the alarm on the City’s rampant law breaking and failure to negotiate in good faith.
We’re fed up and we’re ready to escalate – and rest assured, any strike by City workers will be even larger and longer than our 1-day strike in August. In fact, our union siblings in the Coalition of City Unions are also voting simultaneously – meaning that any potential strike would shut down city services.
The reality is that we need the City to negotiate with us in good faith.
The City’s chronic understaffing has pushed frontline services to their breaking point, and in many cases, staffing levels in key areas have made the work we do hazardous.
We have a duty as union members to do whatever it takes to get the best contract possible.
The ULP strike authorization vote begins today November 29th at 9AM.
How To Vote
Voting will be available online and in-person at selected work locations. Every LA City SEIU Local 721 member in good standing will get the opportunity to make their voice heard.