On Monday night, about 55,000 county workers went on strike, and on Tuesday, downtown streets were blocked off as many of these workers marched and chanted for higher salaries and a new contract from L.A. County.
The union workers waved signs saying “SEIU Local 721: Protecting the integrity of public sector jobs” and “We are the Safety Net.” Before marching, they gathered at the Hall of Administration in Downtown L.A.’s Civic Center, where their leaders took to a small stage to rally union members.
Raymond Meza, Deputy Chief of Staff for SEIU 721, described the necessity of these workers.
“Our members provide the safety net services for L.A. County,” Meza said. “If you are having a medical emergency, you may wind up in an L.A. County Hospital. If you need to go get on social services, whether that’s Cal Works, Cal Fresh, you’re going to a social services office where our eligibility worker is making sure that you can get access to those services.”
The strikers are calling for a new contract with higher salaries, but the county is under tremendous pressure due to a massive budget deficit and huge costs from the recent wildfires. The county said it cannot afford the proposed salary increases.
The ongoing strike has suspended service at some healthcare clinics, and many libraries were closed. Efforts to clean up wildfire debris could also come to a pause as the union workers remain devoted to the fight.
Kelly Zhou is a nurse at Los Angeles General Medical Center. She was among the thousands of nurses who didn’t go to work today. Instead, she took to the streets.
“In our healthcare settings, in my hospital, our healthcare providers and workers have been very short of staff,” Zhou said. “We’ve been stretched very thin, but we improvise. We get the job done, we take good care of our patients, and keep our community healthy.”
Despite the serious nature of what these workers are marching for, there was still a healthy dose of smiles and dancing as music played and bells rang as they marched through the streets of Downtown L.A.
The strike is set to continue until 7 p.m. Wednesday.