About 43,000 Los Angeles County workers go on strike

Pay is a major issue as Los Angeles County workers go out on strike

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Most of the members of the union representing about 47,000 of Los Angeles County's 87,000 employees went on strike this morning.

All county facilities were expected to be impacted severely by the strike, except for health-care workers who have been prohibited by court order from taking part in the job action.

Tuesday afternoon, a judge granted the county a temporary restraining order prohibiting nurses and other health-care workers from walking off the job. The restraining order covers about 4,500 of the 47,000 striking county employees.

The county strike by members of the Service Employees International Union Local 660 follows rolling walkouts by county workers that started October 1.

A main point of contention between the union and the county is wages. The county offered a 9 percent pay increase over the next three years. Union officials want a 15.5 percent increase.

Mark Tarnawsky, spokesman for local 660, said the county's health units are understaffed and the union is concerned about providing quality patient care.

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Service Employees International Union
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Los Angeles County

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