OCEA members,
OCEA has begun meeting regularly with Orange County Animal Care management to address the issues you’ve raised with us. In attendance at these meetings are your OCEA Labor Representatives, OCCR HR, OCAC Director Monica Schmidt, and OCAC Operations Manager Jamie Link. If you have a follow-up item or something new you want us to raise with management at the next meeting, please email one of your OCEA representatives: Alisha Greene (agreene@ocea.org), Carolyn Gasga (cgasca@ocea.org), or Sam Rice (srice@ocea.org).
Here’s what we brought to the table at our last meeting, and the responses we received:
CHAIRS IN DISPATCH
We flagged concerns raised about chairs in poor repair for those who work in field dispatch. Management could not locate any chairs in poor repair but did replace a briefing-style chair with a new office chair at a workstation. The County suspects the damaged chair may have already been removed from the property.
LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS
You asked to wear your own long-sleeve shirts under your uniforms for sun protection. The policy regarding whether this was allowed or not was unclear, so we asked OCAC to provide clarity for employees. An email went out to staff on April 16, 2026, with the annual uniform order reminder, confirming that compression sleeves and long-sleeved shirts under uniforms are acceptable.
OVERTIME DURING SHORT STAFFING
We pushed for overtime coverage during periods of short staffing, particularly in dispatch. Management stated they will assess overtime case-by-case when emergent shortages or call backlogs arise. We have asked for a list of all occurrences where OT was requested and then subsequently approved or denied. If you have a situation where OT was requested and denied and you’d like us to follow up, please let us know.
CATCHPOLE POLICY
Over the last year there has been a lot of conflicting information over the use of catchpoles at OCAC. OCAC committed to training all staff during our meeting so that employees know the agency’s position on this important safety tool. According to the department, an email went to the Field supervisory team on April 28, 2026, with catchpole safety training that establishes it as a mandatory safety tool and explains its practical use. Training has since been delivered in briefings, with signed logs collected. If you still have questions, please let us know so we can make sure you are provided with the correct information.
RECORDS REQUEST: CALL VOLUME, 2016-PRESENT
OCEA requested the number of calls received by dispatch as we received reports that it has become an unsustainable amount over the last few years. When we met with OCAC, they were in the process of backfilling the vacancies in dispatch with new employees. We still asked to see the data so that we could see any trends of increased calls or calls to employee ratios. OCAC is compiling field service call records and will send them separately ahead of our next meeting. If you have any additional information you’d like us to share regarding the call volume, please let us know.
SKIPPED LUNCHES AND BREAKS
We heard concerns from members about staff missing breaks and lunches due to the workload. This should not be the case and you should always be able to take your lunch breaks. The call center supervisor has briefed the dispatch team on break-period workflows and the avenues available to protect their breaks, since tracking them is each staff member’s responsibility. Supervisors will also monitor and remind staff of breaks and lunches when needed. Because dispatch oversees ACO lunch periods on the watch list, the team will notify a supervisor when a field staff member misses a break so coverage can be arranged. If you are still having issues taking your lunches or breaks, please let us know so we can see what can be changed to ensure you are receiving your breaks and lunches.
NEXT MEETING
Overall, we believe that these meetings have opened a line of communication with the department that we can use to help make your workplace better. The agency has been responsive to our requests, especially when asked to clarify policies and procedures for staff. We are hopeful that by opening up this direct line of communication, we can address some of the longstanding issues you all have faced in OCAC.
We’re scheduled to meet again in mid-June, and we’ll continue fighting for you. Please alert us of any items that you would like us to take to the next meeting. Stay tuned for updates.
In Solidarity,
Alisha Greene
OCEA
