Massive ULP Practice Pickets show SEIU 721 LA County Members are Fed Up
Walking a sunrise picket line at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, I could see that SEIU 721 LA County members have had enough.
On the morning of February 20, our members took to the streets in massive ULP practice pickets at worksites across LA County. We sent a clear message to management: our union is unbreakable, and we will do whatever it takes to secure the respect and contract we deserve.
Since the start of contract negotiations, we’ve filed over 42 Unfair Labor Practice charges against LA County. They address bad faith bargaining, retaliation against our members, and the county’s ongoing effort to contract out union work.
We’re fed up with the county’s unlawful behavior — especially their intent to further outsource our jobs while pouring over $6.2 billion into private firms in just one fiscal year.
Our picketing isn’t just a protest; it is a stand against disrespectful contract offers that ignore more than 12,000 vacant positions that should be filled by SEIU 721 members.
Together, we are fighting for dignity, fair treatment, and a contract that reflects the value of our work.
Thank you for your unwavering unity and commitment.
In solidarity,
David Green Joins ‘Resilience & Rebuilding’ Virtual Discussion on Wildfire Impacts
SEIU 721 President David Green joined a panel of LA political, environmental, nonprofit and business leaders to discuss the impact of the LA Wildfires. Sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the inaugural session of Resilience & Rebuilding, discussed how LA can recover through collective action and community solutions.
Moderated by Capital B News reporter Adam Mahoney, the event featured expert testimonials detailing personal, city, county, and state-level responses to the crisis. Alongside Green, speakers included California Conservation Corps Director Nikki Morales, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator CEO Matt Petersen, Heal the Bay President and CEO Tracy Quinn, and Altadena City Council Member Kim Yu.
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) is renowned for engagement with the community through innovative programs that merge art with social dialogue.
When we fight, we win!
Fed Up LA County Members organize huge practice Pickets
SEIU 721 members practice picketing key worksites in massive action across LA County On February 20, SEIU 721 LA County members demonstrated their unbreakable solidarity by holding massive ULP practice pickets at key worksites. Since contract negotiations began, our union has filed over 25 ULPs, accusing LA County of bad
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SEIU 721 Leaders Join AFL-CIO President For Wildfire Relief
SEIU 721 Vice President Simboa Wright and Treasurer Adolfo Granados joined AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and other labor leaders from around the LA region to deliver aid to union members affected by wildfires and discuss relief efforts with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
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SEIU 721 salutes the contributions of black americans in labor’s
fight for justice.
In honor of Black History Month, the African American Caucus held a vibrant celebration that featured history lessons, recognition of past and current labor leaders, and a delicious brunch.
This year’s theme, “African Americans and Labor,” recognizes the essential contributions of Black Americans — not only the physical, mental, and emotional labor that built this country, but also the creation of schools, churches, and community organizations fighting for freedom and social and economic justice.
Chaired by SEIU 721 Vice President Simboa Wright, the AAC is steadfast in its mission to enhance education, training, mentorship, leadership development, and networking opportunities for SEIU Local 721 members and staff of African descent.
Maria Elena Durazo Joins SEIU 721 COPE Town Hall Meeting
Durazo sways COPE with worker-focused plan for LA Board of Supervisors. On February 27, our members came together for SEIU’s 721 COPE Town Hall meeting to meet State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, who is running to replace Hilda Solis as District 1 LA County Supervisor and create a plan for
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SEIU 721 Ventura Superior Court Interpreters Win Pay Boost in New Side-Letter Agreement
In a big win for SEIU 721 Ventura Superior Court Interpreters, a new side-letter agreement signed on February 10, 2025, delivers a bonus and a boost in hourly wages — bringing their pay to parity with neighboring counties. The new side-letter agreement is an add-on to the existing Memorandum of
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Union Faculty Fight for Fairness at USD and LMU
NTT Faculty at the University of San Diego’s College of Arts and Sciences and NTT Faculty and Visiting Assistant Professors at LMU Rally for Fair Contracts NTT faculty at USD’s College of Arts and Sciences highlighted how job insecurity harms students and staff during their “Union Teach Out, Reach Out”
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Retiree Committee
SEIU 721 Retiree general membership meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month (except December) at SEIU 721 headquarters and via Zoom.
Retirees in Action
SEIU 721’s Retirees Leadership Group has unveiled an ambitious schedule of events for 2025 aimed at strengthening union solidarity among active members and retirees.
At their Feb. 7 retreat, Retiree leaders presented a full calendar of events, including a March 15 recruitment fair, a members’ field trip, and an APRI birthday/anniversary celebration. The calendar includes community initiatives addressing food insecurity, a clothing drive for those in need, and the reinstatement of observances such as Black History Month, Cinco de Mayo, Labor Day, Women’s History Month, Older Americans Month, and Veterans Day.
During the retreat, committee chairs presented their vision and goals for membership, budget, programs, healthcare, and communications. The group agreed on several strategic actions: defining committee chair responsibilities, creating a newsletter submission template with deadlines, scheduling separate strategic planning and budget meetings, and launching membership surveys in April and October.
NEVHC Gears Up to Bargain
Northeast Valley Health Corp Workers Strategize to Win
Workers at Northeast Valley Health Corporation are ramping up for their next contract campaign, completing surveys to prioritize key issues.
This step ensures that each member’s voice is heard, helping our bargaining team tailor a strategy that addresses our concerns such as improved benefits, job security, and fair compensation.
We understand that member unity at NEVHC strengthens our hand in bargaining and helps deliver a contract that benefits all members.
DPSS Workers Win
DPSS Members’ Sick Time Restored in Telework Grievance Win
SEIU 721 LA County DPSS Southwest Special workers arrived at work the morning of January 27, 2025, to find an office without email, network access or functional computers — even the parking lot gate had failed.
In response, DPSS management gave employees two options: work at a distant DPSS office or use our own vacation/sick time. Even though all of us were fully equipped and trained for telework since the pandemic, management wouldn’t offer the option of remote work, forcing 91 employees—many with childcare, elder care, or transportation challenges—to sacrifice paid time.
Our union, SEIU 721, swung into action. Shop Stewards Paul Kim and LaTonya Lazard filed a group grievance on behalf of those affected. On Feb. 19, management reversed its decision and restored workers’ lost time after confirming that our office did have the authority to allow telework from the start. “This is their victory, really,” said Paul Kim. “Our members’ determination and solidarity won the day.”
SEIU 721 chief of staff gilda valdez
Our Union
Who’s really behind the White House plan to fire millions of public workers? Meet the architects of Project 2025.
Elon Musk is making headlines for his bull-in-a-china-shop campaign to fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers. But Musk and his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) are just running a playbook taken straight from Project 2025.
Created by the Heritage Foundation and a network of ultra-conservative think tanks, Project 2025 is a detailed plan to gut the federal workforce and weaken public-sector unions. A key player in shaping its anti-union agenda is FreedomWorks, a political organization primarily focused on weakening public employees and their unions.
FreedomWorks is funded by ExxonMobil, tobacco companies and conservative billionaires, like Charles Koch and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. FreedomWorks has spent millions on campaigns to elect anti-union politicians and eliminate collective bargaining rights and pensions benefits for public workers.
While it was promoted as a blueprint for reducing government spending, the real goal of Project 2025 is changing the ideology of government by eliminating civil service protections for public workers. Project 2025 envisions rooting out government employees based on their beliefs and replacing them with political appointees — and it doesn’t stop with federal workers.
Project 2025 contains a strategy for expanding the power of the Presidency and using it to pressure un-cooperative state and local government leaders into implementing ultra-conservative policies. The Justice Department recently threatened to investigate Maine Governor Janet Mills and several members of Congress over opposition to White House policy. The Trump Administration even forced California Governor Newsom to change state water policy by threatening to withhold federal disaster relief.
The good news: We’ve faced the groups behind Project 2025 before and won. We’re ready to do it again.
