Striking Los Angeles County workers are planning to gather outside their places of work for the final day of a 48-hour strike over contract negotiations.
More than 55,000 members of Service Employees International Union Local 721, including public works employees, public and mental health professionals, social workers and parks and recreation personnel, went on strike Monday night.
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On Wednesday, striking workers plan to rally outside work locations, including Los Angeles General Medical Center in Boyle Heights.
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SIGN UP The strike is expected to conclude at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The walkout was impacting some services, including the county's non-urgent health clinics, public libraries, wildfire clean-up services, trash pick-up and homeless encampment enforcement.
On Tuesday, a large group including striking workers marched on downtown Los Angeles streets.
By late Tuesday morning, a large crowd -- most wearing purple SEIU 721 shirts -- with picket signs had gathered in downtown Los Angeles. The union bused members to a rally that began outside the Hall of Administration on Temple Street, which was closed to traffic for a march.
The march slowed traffic and resulted in about a dozen arrests.
At about 12:30 p.m., about a dozen people who sat on Figueroa Street in a coordinated display of civil disobedience and blocked the road were taken into custody. The individuals surrendered peacefully to officers and most of the crowd dispersed by early Tuesday afternoon.
They were quickly processed, cited and released at the scene.
The union and county representatives met Tuesday, according to the union. There are no marches planned for Wednesday.
The two-day walkout that began Monday followed failed negotiations with the county for a new contract after the last one expired in March, according to the Service Employees International Union Local 721.
The union represents employees including public health professionals, social workers, parks and recreation staff, custodians, clerical workers and others serving a county of 10 million residents. This is the first time all of its about 55,000 members went on strike, the union said.
