Los Angeles County Workers Stage Historic Strike for Respect and Fair Pay

Los Angeles County Workers Stage Historic Strike for Respect and Fair Pay

On April 28, 2025, more than 55,000 Los Angeles County employees left their posts and formed picket lines outside libraries, hospitals, clinics, and administrative offices. Represented by SEIU Local 721, the workers launched a two-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike after contract talks stalled in March. They accuse county leaders of bargaining in bad faith and violating labor laws.
AP News

Who walked out? Social workers, public-health nurses, custodians, park employees, eligibility clerks, and dozens of other classifications that keep services running for 10 million residents. For the first time in the union’s history every member struck at once, turning downtown streets purple with signs reading “Respect Us—Protect Us.” Arrests followed when marchers briefly blocked a freeway on-ramp.
AP News
ABC7 Los Angeles

Key services hit
• Public libraries closed county-wide
• Outpatient clinics cancelled non-urgent visits
• Hall of Administration counters went dark
• Beach restrooms, probation offices, and coroner labs reduced hours
Los Angeles Times

The county says its budget already strains under a tentative $4 billion childhood-assault settlement and wildfire recovery costs. Officials warn that bigger raises could force layoffs. Union president David Green rebuts that workers “got LA County through every emergency” and now struggle to pay their own rent.
AP News

What makes this action a ULP strike?

• The National Labor Relations Act shields employees who protest unfair practices such as surveillance or retaliation.
• Under NLRB v. Mackay Radio (1938) employers may permanently replace workers in an economic strike, but not in a ULP strike; any replacements must step aside when strikers return.
• NLRB v. Washington Aluminum Co. (1962) held that even non-union workers engaging in concerted activity are protected.
• California’s new SB 931 lets the state fine public employers that deter union activity—another risk factor for the county.

LA County faces 44 pending ULP charges. The union alleges management recorded picket organizers, outsourced union jobs, and withheld wage data. Each claim, if true, bolsters the workers’ legal footing while exposing the county to back-pay liability and civil penalties.
AP News

Will county supervisors revisit pay scales before the 48-hour walkout ends? Will Sacramento’s new anti-union-busting fines appear in the final settlement? Keep tracking negotiations, because the answers will influence every municipal worker bargaining in 2025.

What can you learn from this fight?

• Document every incident that looks like retaliation. Dates and witnesses matter.
• File charges promptly; the NLRA’s six-month window closes fast.
• Elect a single point of contact before talks begin. It prevents divide-and-conquer tactics.
• Study past decisions so you know which actions invite replacement and which do not.
• Prepare community allies—public opinion often tips the balance when vital services halt.

You may never lead a county-wide walkout, yet you likely depend on safe staffing, fair pay, and respect. If your employer ignores the law, what leverage will you bring to the table? The Los Angeles strike shows that coordinated, legally informed pressure can disrupt the status quo in just forty-eight hours—and force power to listen.