LA Members of Service Union Prepare To Strike Soon

LOS ANGELES -- The union representing workers employed with the city of Los Angeles announced today members will head to the picket lines early Tuesday morning for a 24-hour strike to protest what they deemed a refusal to bargain in good faith.

Sanitation workers, heavy duty mechanics, traffic officers, engineers and many more city workers, who are represented by SEIU 721, plan to walk off the job to protest city management and other ``unfair labor practices restricting employee and union rights,'' according to a statement from the union.

Los Angeles city officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

At 11 a.m. Tuesday, workers will meet at City Hall for a march and rally, though picket lines will begin as early as 4 a.m.

In May, city workers represented by SEIU 721 voted overwhelmingly, with 98% approval, to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike -- a first by city workers in more than 40 years.

David Green, president and executive director of SEIU 721, told City News Service that on Tuesday there's going to be 30-plus strike lines all across the city and that there would be thousands of people just at City Hall late that morning.

``We are going to be throughout the entire city striking to send a message that the city's broken the law," he said. "They need to come back to the table, they need to fill these vacancies and they need to listen to the concerns of the public.''

He said that residents might experience a lack of service come Tuesday, whether it's the ``folks that pick up their trash, that protect the harbor, work in parks or that secure LAX.''

``We want (the city) to acknowledge that these are hardworking folks and to come back to the table,'' Green said. ``We need these vacancies to be filled, but it's really important that we send a message to city that this is important for our members.''

-- City News Service