Share
Share
More than 10,000 LA County members of SEIU 721 rallied and marched Tuesday in Downtown Los Angeles in protest of management’s repeated violations of labor law and failure to bargain in good faith.
The march — the largest in SEIU 721’s history — came on day two of county workers’ Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike in which more than 55,000 members have walked off the job.
Starting around 8 am, busloads of LA County workers started to pack Temple Street in front of the County’s Hall of Administration, where members rallied with picket signs, banners, and noise makers as SEIU 721 leaders addressed them.
“They messed with the wrong union,” said David Green, Executive Director and President of SEIU 721 who is also a Children’s Social Worker III with DCFS. “They thought we wouldn’t strike in LA County. They thought we wouldn’t be unified enough to come together. But I know if there’s one badass union that’s going to win this fight, it’s us.”
Green added: “We are the frontline of Los Angeles County. We are the safety net of LA County. We suffered through the pandemic together. We suffered through the fires together. We suffered through economic downturns together. Why the hell would you disrespect LA County workers?”
SEIU 721 has filed 44 ULP charges against the county this bargaining cycle, including for refusing to bargain in good faith, restricting union organizers’ access to worksites, retaliation against members for union activity, contracting out union positions, and more.
Around 11 am, the march began, with members heading south on Grand Avenue making their way past downtown’s Civic Center.
The massive marched ended at 5th and Figueroa streets.
Just past that intersection, 14 union members and community supporters sat down in the street in a non-violent act of civil disobedience, laying down a banner in front of them saying “LA County Workers on ULP Strike,” as fellow members and supporters cheered and chanted for a fair contract
Eventually, the 14 were arrested; all were later cited and released.
After the rally, President Green said the fight will continue until LA County stops violating labor law and starts respecting SEIU 721 members.
“We sent a message to LA County today,” Green said. “You can’t keep breaking labor law without us fighting back. You can’t keep bargaining in bad faith without us fighting back. Our fight will continue until the County stops disrespecting us.”
