January 27, 2022

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Board of Supervisors regular meeting included an agenda item (Agenda Item #14) that impacted the CFS division of SSA. The Board approved the item to bring in an outside vendor to assist with “workflow redesign services.”

January 23, 2022

Your FMEF Bargaining Team met with representatives from the City on Jan. 12, 2022. We delivered our proposal for the wage increases you and your families deserve. We included a provision for retroactive pay as the City is responsible for delays in the negotiations process.

January 21, 2022

As you know, yesterday’s public cries for safety compelled SSA/CFS Management to call for a meeting to receive worker input on implementing telecommuting schedules for CFS Clerical Workers.

January 20, 2022

Today (January 20) over 100 workers, elected officials, community leaders and fellow OCEA members came together to demand safety for Clerical workers at CFS. Rising COVID cases have resulted in unsafe working conditions for frontline public servants. Repeated demands for telecommuting, additional safety and other mitigations have been met with indifference. As of this morning, SSA management had failed to commit to any concrete additional safety measures, instead hiding behind tired, old assurances to further assess the matter. As a result, OCEA members followed through with our commitment to act if the County did meet our demands.

January 19, 2022

Your Clerical Worker colleagues at Children and Family Services (CFS), SSA are fighting for workplace safety and the ability to telecommute. Come join them at a rally tomorrow, January 20, 2022, outdoors in front of the SSA building, 840 Eckhoff Street in Orange. Don't forget to wear your mask. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a brief program at noon including speakers.

January 18, 2022

Please plan to attend the 9 a.m. Caseload Management Forum tomorrow, January 19th. Please use the Zoom link below to join the meeting.

January 18, 2022

Keeping the American Dream alive for young people can often mean a college education. Yet the cost of higher education can pose a nearly insurmountable barrier for many working families. The OCEA-affiliated Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) offers scholarships annually to help working people meet this economic challenge.

January 14, 2022

As you know, OCEA provided SSA Director Debra Baetz with a list of your demands on December 15, 2021. The most urgent of those demands had a 60-day timeline. On Wednesday, OCEA Labor Relations Staff met with Director Baetz and SSA Chief Deputy Director An Tran for a 30-day status check. The Directors indicated that some progress has been made on a number of the items, however much remains incomplete and we must continue to push them to have your demands met. Below is a summary of the items for which we received a progress update:

January 13, 2022

Kaiser Permanente is partnering with OCEA to provide a series of virtual seminars promoting health and well-being. This week's seminar, "Making Healthy Food and Snacks Work," is a short informational video with tips for making well-balanced snacks.

January 12, 2022

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers are an exciting NBA matchup and one of the best crosstown rivalries in sports.

January 12, 2022

We have been informed there is a COVID outbreak at your work location. With COVID cases rising across the County, OCEA successfully pressed the County to authorize an Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) program. County workers will each receive up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for qualifying COVID-related absences.

January 12, 2022

Our current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the District expires on June 30, 2022. Negotiating a new MOU, which establishes your wages, benefits, and working conditions is one of the many reasons the union exists.

January 11, 2022

In direct response to OCEA’s demands, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) today authorized the County CEO to administer a 2022 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program (EPSL). County workers will each receive up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for qualifying COVID-related absences.

January 7, 2022

For almost two years, County workers have fought to keep themselves safe, to protect their families, and to keep our government open. As the Omicron variant began to drive the current unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases, OCEA took action and demanded the County provide County workers with additional Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL).

January 6, 2022

A safe workplace is the value that drives all other needs. COVID-19 has put public servants directly in harm's way. Further, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has increased the number of positive cases exponentially. We know that many of you are concerned about your health and the well-being of your family. We want to remind everyone that the Court has extended the Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) benefit that was provided as part of early COVID-19 relief efforts through June of 2022. EPSL allows for workers to take necessary time for COVID-19 related illnesses.