First Such Strike In The City For 15 Years, WGA and SAG-AFTRA To Join Picket Line
By Dolores Quintana
Los Angeles city workers plan to go on a 24-hour strike on Tuesday, August 8. Select city services, including trash pickup and access to public swimming pools, will be unavailable.
In light of the one-day strike, domestic passengers at LAX should arrive three hours ahead of their departure time, while international passengers should plan for a four-hour buffer to account for possible delays. Residents intending to visit a city pool should call in advance to confirm if the location is open.
Striking workers are expected to picket at Los Angeles City Hall and LAX, as indicated by worker union SEIU Local 721 on Twitter. The strike comes as hotel workers, Hollywood writers and actors, and UPS employees also employ strikes or the threat of one to negotiate for better wages and benefits from their employers. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA have issued calls on social media for their members to join the picket SEIU picket line at city hall.
This will be the first L.A. city worker strike in 15 years, involving approximately 11,000 participants, including “sanitation workers, heavy-duty mechanics, traffic officers, and engineers,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that the striking workers are “vital to the function of services for millions of Angelenos every day and to our local economy” and added that the city has been bargaining in good faith with SEIU 721 since January. While city officials don’t anticipate a prolonged work stoppage, they remain available to make progress 24/7, as per a news release.
Mayor Bass said that her office was working to minimize disruptions to vital city services via her Twitter account, stating the following:
Emergency @LAPDHQ and @LAFD services will not be impacted. City-run homeless and housing services will not be impacted. The Los Angeles Department of Housing hotline will be operational.
Collection services will be delayed one day. The collection schedule will return to normal by Monday, Aug. 14. The 24/7 Customer Care Center can be reached at 1-800-773-2489 or visit http://lacitysan.org for more information.
Parking enforcement, traffic operations, control for permitted special events, and constituent calls for service to signals and sign repair will be impacted. Residents may experience traffic delays at major events held within the City of Los Angeles.
@LACityParks anticipates changes to some of their programming. Visit http://laparks.org for updates and information. Summer camps will continue. Any changes will be communicated immediately to parents. City-operated preschools and daycare centers will be open.
@LACityPets animal shelters will be closed to the public. Shelters will be open for emergency services, including sick and injured animals as well as animals that may pose public safety risks.
@LAPublicLibrary services will not be impacted. @MyLA311 Call Center will be open and operational.
