LA city workers stage walkout

The largest city employees union in Los Angeles held a one-day walkout on Tuesday. Service Employees International Union President David Green said workers were protesting bad faith contracts, excessive overtime, and unfair negotiation tactics by city management. Green said the strike would remind LA that city leaders “need to respect what we do as city employees.”

Will this shut down the city? SEIU Local 721 represents about 7,000 public servants in the LA area, including garbage services, lifeguards, animal shelter workers, and airport staff. While trash wasn’t collected for the day and some pools were shut down, LA Mayor Karen Bass promised that “no public safety or housing and homelessness emergency operations are impacted” by the strike. She said her office would continue negotiating “in good faith” with the union leaders.

Dig deeper: Read Collin Garbarino’s report in WORLD Magazine on why Hollywood actors and writers are currently striking.