LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The strike by Los Angeles County public works employees, public and mental health professionals, social workers and parks and recreation personnel continues Tuesday.

More than 55,000 members of Service Employees International Union Local 721 went on strike at 7 p.m. Monday, accusing the county of failing to fairly negotiate a new labor contract.

The union says it is the first strike of its kind in Los Angeles County. The walkout is expected to last 48 hours.

The two sides negotiated Monday night, Roxane Marquez of SEIU Local 721 told City News Service.

The strike could impact a number of services including the county's non-urgent health clinics, public libraries, wildfire clean-up services, trash pick-up and homeless encampment enforcement.

"This is the workforce that got L.A. County through emergency after emergency: the January wildfires, public health emergencies, mental health emergencies, social service emergencies and more," David Green, SEIU 721's executive director and president, said in a statement.

"From the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, from the foothills to the beaches, all across L.A. County, we get the job done. That's why we have had it with the labor law violations and demand respect for our workers."

The union accuses Los Angeles County management of refusing to bargain with union members in good faith, and allege retaliation and surveillance of union members.

The union claims the county's proposal was a 0% increase for cost of living, and alleges the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was able to spend $205 million on a downtown skyscraper for new office space, while maintaining there's no money for frontline 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."

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."

County Library officials issued a statement saying the strike could impact services and possibly force temporary closures of some library locations.

"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 non-urgent 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 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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 visit 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.

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

Bill Handel