We’re Pointing the Way for LA County

More than 2,800 LA County employees made a statement Sept. 29 at the Hall of Administration. With just one day to go before contracts expired for 55,000 people represented by the County’s largest union, SEIU 721 members appealed to the Board of Supervisors and sent bargaining teams back to action.

The crowd cheered as SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover listed the RNs, social service employees, public works crews and other flag-waving County employees who packed the courtyard outside the County Hall. “We do it all folks,” he said.

“Working for such a large county has its challenges, but we all do it every day,” said Linda Dent, Bargaining Policy Committee chair. “We do it to put food on the table for our families, of course, but everything we do helps this county and helps residents here.”

Bargaining proposals to reduce lines for marriage licenses and public benefits and increase public safety were crowd-pleasers — points repeated inside to the Supervisors.

“It’s not going to cost a lot of money to make parks safer, but it will take us all working together,” said Recreation Services Manager Lila Johnson-Crenshaw.