outside the Hall of Administration at 500 W. Temple St. “to send the Board of Supervisors a powerful message: We won’t back down!” The Board of Supervisors was set to meet inside the building at 9:30 a.m.

Union members, most wearing purple shirts and many waving signs, marched on Temple Street while chanting slogans. Temple was closed to traffic in the area to accommodate the action.

As the morning wore on, the crowd of workers swelled dramatically, and the group marched through the downtown area. The throng of purple-shirted workers blanketed streets as it moved, snarling downtown traffic. Workers carried banners at the head of the march, reading “LA County Workers on ULP Strike,” and “We are the Safety Net.”

Around midday, the group amassed near the intersection of Fifth and Figueroa streets, and about a dozen workers sat in the middle of Fifth Street in a coordinated display of civil disobedience. Fifth Street was closed from the 110 Freeway to Flower Street due to the demonstration.

Police eventually moved in and peacefully arrested the protesters one by one. The arrestees were quickly processed, cited and released at the scene.

By early afternoon, the group appeared to be dissipating, although thousands of people could still be seen roaming downtown streets, preventing them from reopening to traffic.

The strike, expected to continue until 7 p.m. today, was affecting a number of services, including the county’s nonurgent health clinics, public libraries, wildfire cleanup services, trash pickup and homeless encampment enforcement.

The Board of Supervisors did not address the labor dispute during the public session of its Tuesday meeting.

The union accuses Los Angeles County management of refusing to bargain with union members in good faith and alleges the county is engaging in retaliation and surveillance of union members.

“L.A. County management keeps breaking the law, and we have had enough,” said David Green, SEIU 721’s executive director and president. “They’ve stalled contract negotiations for months. And they’ve committed at least 44 labor law violations to-date. Clearly, they thought they were above the law. They thought we would never strike. They thought wrong.”

The union claims the county’s proposal was a 0% increase for cost of living and alleges the Board of Supervisors was able to spend $205 million on a downtown skyscraper for new office space while maintaining there’s no money for front-line staff.

The county disputes those claims, saying there are other costs the county is facing, including $4 billion on sex assault claims and $2 billion in impacts from January’s wildfires “and the potentially catastrophic loss of hundreds of millions or more in federal funding.”

The union also criticized the county for an increasing reliance on private contracting.

“To add insult to injury, for years, L.A. County management simultaneously has been operating a taxpayer-to-private sector pipeline — funneling $7.7 billion in FY 2024-2025 to private firms while not requiring them to pay a living wage,” SEIU 721 said in a news release. “Instead of privatizing good union jobs, those dollars should be staying in-house.”

Konstantine Anthony, a Burbank City Councilmember and a member of SEIU 2015, which represents home care workers (he is a care provider for his disabled son) spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting under general comment. He said that while cities and counties do use independent contractors when necessary, they can become too dependent on them.

“I would like to encourage this body (the Board of Supervisors) to look at setting stronger parameters and budget limits on independent contractors,” Anthony told the board.

County CEO Fesia Davenport recently released the budget proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year, including 3% cuts to some departments and the elimination of more than 200 vacant positions.

“We are working hard to make sure our labor partners understand the financial reality of our situation,” according to a county statement. “Despite the severity of our fiscal outlook, the county has made fair and responsible counter proposals that we hope the union will seriously consider.

“We are committed to continuing constructive negotiations and to joining with labor on something we can all agree on — which is the county’s absolutely essential role in serving the people who rely on us not just for safety net services but to make their lives better.”

Several members of the Board of Supervisors also issued statements offering support for the workers and their desire to see a contract deal reached. But they cautioned about the county’s precarious financial situation.

“I am confident that, through honest dialogue and mutual compromise, we can reach an agreement that protects both our workers and the safety net that so many Angelenos depend on,” Supervisor Hilda Solis said. “This is a moment when we must all work together — not against one another — so that we can continue providing the essential services our community needs.”

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath added, “As thousands of SEIU 721 members strike, I want to acknowledge the deep frustration felt by our workforce. These are the same professionals who have stood on the front lines during wildfires, public health crises and countless emergencies. Their commitment to service is unwavering, and they deserve to be heard and respected.”

Supervisor Janice Hahn said she hoped talks between the county and the union would bear fruit.

“SEIU workers are nurses at our county hospitals, librarians, social workers and so many more county employees that our residents depend on every day,” she said. “I hold out hope that both sides can come together so that SEIU workers can have a fair contract, even in the midst of our budget challenges.”

County library officials issued a statement saying the strike could affect services and possibly force temporary closures of some facilities.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and are preparing our operations for the strike’s potential impact on library services,” County Librarian Skye Patrick said in a statement. “In the event we have to temporarily close our libraries, we recommend customers access our Digital Library, which is open 24/7. We encourage customers to stay informed by checking our website for regular updates as the events unfold.”

Some nonurgent county clinics will be closed during the two-day strike, some beach restrooms may be closed, and there may be some delays in services provided by the medical examiner.

Residents may experience delays in several services from the Department of Animal Care and Control, including public adoptions, reclaiming pets, purchasing or renewing pet licenses, and general animal care, the county announced.

Animal control officers will continue to respond to priority one calls, which include but are not limited to incidents involving injured animals, ongoing bite incidents and requests for police, sheriff and fire assistance.

The assessor’s office warned that members of the public may experience longer wait times at the Hall of Administration and delays in phone response times during the strike period.

The One-Stop Shop public service counter on the first floor of the Hall of Administration will remain open.

All other Hall of Administration public service counters will be closed today.

District, regional and satellite offices will remain open but may also experience service delays, including longer counter wait times and slower phone response times.

The office is encouraging the public to go to its website, assessor.lacounty.gov and create an E-Service account. Many assessor services can be completed online, and general inquiries are often addressed through the website.

The county noted that SEIU 721 is the county’s largest union, with members in 36 of the county’s 38 departments.

Residents can go to lacounty.gov/closures for details on possible closures or service delays caused by the strike.

Southern California News Group staff writers contributed to this report.