Los Angeles city employees, on Tuesday morning, went on a one-day strike accusing their employer of unfair working conditions and "bad faith" contract negotiations, NBC reported.
Over 11,000 city employees are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 721, which claims they are protesting unjust working conditions including staffing shortages in city agencies that require overtime work.
The walkout, according to the union, will extend for 24 hours and will likely result in the suspension or reduction of a number of public services, including garbage pickup, cleaning up homeless camps, closing animal shelters and public swimming pools, and delaying parking enforcement.
Gilda Valdez, chief of staff for SEIU Local 721, said that the striking workers are "not trying to destroy or hurt anything."
"But we want to send a strong message to the City of LA. Don’t come to the table and mess with us," Valdez added.
The union, which includes, among others, city sanitation workers, heavy-duty mechanics, traffic cops, and engineers, went on strike at 12:01 am on Tuesday, and at 4 am, workers started picketing outside Los Angeles International Airport.
Mike Long, the union's communications director, said the workers will stage "a few dozen active picket lines" at other locations, that include City Hall and the Griffith Observatory, throughout the day as well.
SEIU Local 721 reached an agreement with the city government last year, which remains in effect until December. The city pledged to consider hundreds of union proposals in separate negotiation sessions.
However, talks collapsed when city officials merged these negotiations with the union's upcoming contract, prompting union officials to file an unfair labour practice complaint.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the strike would not force the city to shut down, but advised airline passengers to set aside extra time for travel while the city implements a plan to ensure emergency services are not impacted by the strike.
She also said that the city is prepared to advance contract negotiations with striking workers at any time.
"Like I said over the weekend, the City will always be available to make progress with SEIU 721 and we will continue bargaining in good faith," Bass said in a statement.
Multiple strikes have emerged across the US as city workers in California are striking amid a surge in labour activity due to rising rents and homelessness.
Thousands of hotel workers in Los Angeles demanded higher wages and benefits, while Hollywood actors walked off their sets due to collapsed Screen Actors Guild-studio negotiations.
The Writers Guild of America also began striking over 100 days ago, demanding higher compensation, residuals, and a writers' staffing minimum on TV shows.
In Northern California, nearly 4,500 San Jose city employees plan to go on a three-day strike next week over similar grievances, citing what they call chronic understaffing in city agencies and low pay, according to NBC Bay Area.