RAISE OR STRIKE, WORKERS SAY MORE COUNTY WALKOUTS LOOM AS HUNDREDS RALLY.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

More than 1,000 Los Angeles County workers rallied Tuesday in downtown L.A., demanding a 15.5 percent raise over the next three years or they would shut down county government beginning Oct. 11.

The chanting and whistling Service Employee International Union Local 660 workers were among 12,000 child and family service, social services and public works employees who walked off their jobs Tuesday during the second day of the rolling strikes.

A new round of walkouts were planned for today as thousands of mostly clerical workers threatened to picket the Sheriff's Department, jails, District Attorney's and Public Defender's offices, probation department, Assessor's Office and libraries.

With no talks scheduled for county and union officials, the issue has gained urgency because workers have threatened to strike at county hospitals and health centers Thursday.

At their weekly meeting Tuesday, supervisors asked the Employee Relations Commission to meet to order employees back to work.

``The rolling strike is illegal since the union has not declared a bargaining impasse and has not complied with the mediation and fact-finding required by county ordinance,'' county Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen said.

But Local 660 Assistant General Manager Bart Diener said the county's move was a ``smokescreen designed to confuse our members'' and only a judge could issue a temporary restraining order.

Supervisors have not decided whether to go to court.

``We have the ability in emergency situations to go to court and force workers to come back to work if they create some kind of medical or safety emergency,'' said Gloria Molina, chairwoman of the board.

If no settlement is reached, all 47,000 county workers are expected to walk off their jobs Oct. 11 in what many said would be the first widespread work stoppage since a 1966 social worker strike.

At the Glendale office of the Department of Public Social Services, employee Maria Perez - a single mother of two - said she made more money as a welfare recipient.

``I used to be a client here, but I stopped so I could work, so I wouldn't be living off the system,'' said the North Hollywood woman, who makes less than $1,500 a month.

Despite Tuesday's job action by 1,300 clerks and support staff at Los Angeles County Children and Family Services, child protective services continued to operate, a spokesman said.

``Child safety, that's No. 1, so that's where we put our priorities,'' said Neil Rincover, spokesman for the agency. ``We don't have any offices closed, we basically provide all the services we usually do.''

Nonunion employees covered phones and reception desks, he said. Social workers belong to another union and did not strike.

Staff writers Donna Huffaker and Dana Bartholomew contributed to this story.

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More than 1,000 Service Employee International Union members rally for raises near the steps of the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles on TuesdayReed Saxon/Associated Press