October 27, 2021

After working with many of you on longstanding issues like, excessive caseloads, undesirable schedules, recruitment challenges, and worker retention, it has become abundantly clear the County of Orange needs political leadership to affect positive change. It comes down to a simple equation: Resolving unreasonable caseloads and other critical workplace issues requires more resources than are currently available.

October 22, 2021

Your FMEF Bargaining Team met with City representatives Thursday, October 21, and received the City’s initial proposal that includes a base building wage increase and a two-year contract term.

October 21, 2021

The last month you have heard quite a bit from me about my re-election campaign to the OCERS Board of Retirement. Today I want to share with you why I got involved in our union and how you can do the same.

October 19, 2021

You can get $11 off the Ticketmaster price to watch the Lakers take on the Sacramento Kings in a regular season game Nov. 26th at the Staples Center. Ticket quantity is limited so you have to act fast!

October 19, 2021

The City Council will meet again tonight to discuss the budget and how to use federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. FMEF is mobilizing again to make our voices heard! Arrive at 6 p.m. and have some pizza with your co-workers.

October 18, 2021

On Tuesday, October 12th, your bargaining team again met with OCFA executive leadership and their negotiator Peter Brown. Our bargaining team stands united; we demanded a fair contract with fair pay increases for each of you. We gave OCFA our proposal to take directly to the JPA Board meeting on October 28th. It is outrageous that after four months of bargaining, OCFA has come back offering no pay increases whatsoever.

October 18, 2021

The last month you have heard quite a bit from me about my re-election campaign to the OCERS Board of Retirement. Today I want to share with you why I got involved in our union and how you can do the same.

October 15, 2021

Your bargaining team submitted their latest proposal on September 29th, and it was brought to Council at the October 12th meeting. We were informed that the Council did not develop its next proposal at that meeting, but instead asked City staff to conduct a financial analysis of the proposal. Due to the lack of a counter-proposal from the City, our next few bargaining meetings have been cancelled. We know the Finance Department is working hard to prepare the analysis for review at the October 19th Council meeting. If Council comes out of that meeting with a new proposal, we should be back at the bargaining table soon thereafter.

October 15, 2021

Last week, FMEF members, community members, and elected officials mobilized at the City Council meeting to make our voices heard. FMEF members turned out to show our displeasure with the City’s inability to hire, train, and retain workers dedicated to maintaining the quality of life in Fullerton. As a result of our action, we were able to stop the council from approving devastating cuts to City services.

October 14, 2021

OCEA Special Events is offering discounts to the upcoming Disney on Ice presentation of, "Dream Big" at the Honda Center from Dec. 8-12! This one-of-a-kind show features some of your favorite Disney characters and stories brought to life on the ice with energy and artistry. The Honda Center is a fantastic venue centrally located in Anaheim.

October 8, 2021

Please join your co-workers and OCEA staff for a General Membership Meeting next week on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The meeting will be held virtually from Noon-1 p.m. One of the items on the agenda will be a contract reopener on a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) benefit. You may recall the Sanitation District recently hosted a presentation on HRAs that included a brief video. Please take a look at it before the meeting on Tuesday.

October 8, 2021

We are still in this fight. At the Fullerton City Council meeting this week, Mayor Whitaker’s and Mayor Pro Tem Dunlap’s motions to impose draconian staff cuts on an already depleted workforce failed time and time again. The result: an embarrassing impasse. Councilmembers Silva, Zahra, and Jung refused to go along with the anti-worker ideological schemes of their two colleagues.

October 6, 2021

Today I completed and mailed in my ballot for the 2021 General Member Election for the OCERS Board of Trustees. It has been my pleasure to serve as your OCERS representative since 2013. During that time, I have focused much of my energy on ensuring that OCERS' operations are efficient and effective. I spent eight years on the Board’s Governance Committee ensuring that appropriate administrative policies and procedures are in place. I was instrumental in establishing our Personnel Committee, which provides a deeper level of board oversight on the personnel issues affecting OCERS.

October 5, 2021

I am reaching out to you today on behalf of AMEA member Russell Murray. He's suffering from COVID-19 and has been hospitalized for a month. Russell is fighting for his life. He is the sole provider for his family and a dedicated member of the Anaheim workforce. We need to help Russell regain his health and strength so that he can return to his essential work.

October 5, 2021

Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County in response to an offshore crude oil spill of 13-square-miles that has reached many of our beaches and environmentally sensitive wetlands. Your colleagues and fellow OCEA members at the Emergency Operations Center and various agencies are working with federal and state agencies to manage this environmental catastrophe.