Legislation Watch--OCEA members advocate in Sacramento; public workers are under attack in the March 9 special election

Dear OCEA Member,

Public sector workers at every level of government are duty-bound to implement the lawful policies and procedures enacted by elected legislators. Politicians allocate funds, pass budgets, and vote on our MOUs. Their influence on working conditions, retirement security, job security, and much more is pervasive.

The OCEA Board of Directors, Stewards, members and staff understand the impact elected officials have on OCEA members and that is why our union fights so hard in the political and legislative arenas. Last month, OCEA members were advocating at multiple levels of government to make sure workers and their families are being treated fairly. Here are a few highlights of OCEA advocacy in the political world:

OCEA Secretary and Registrar of Voters Worker Adele Tagaloa Testifies at the California State Senate
On January 14, OCEA Secretary Adele Tagaloa represented OCEA members in testimony before the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendment Committee. Adele spoke in support of Senate Bill 29 (Umberg), a bill that maintains public health protections for election workers put in place during the 2020 general election. The bill also ensures all voters have the ability to vote by mail or in person if they choose.

“We would like to thank Senator Tom Umberg for being a leader in protecting our employees when they do the important work of conducting our elections," said OCEA General Manager Charles Barfield. “The minimum standards of PPE for our workers and proper social distancing guarantees that Californians can continue to vote in-person if they wish, but that we will also not be risking the health of our employees or the public when Californians practice their right to vote.” These remarks were included in a press release from Senator Umberg’s office you can read here.

OCEA Virtual Advocacy Day – OC Superior Court
On January 10, OCEA workplace leaders, staff and our legislative advocate Pat Moran from the respected lobbying firm of Aaron Read & Associates, assembled virtually for 2021 Court Advocacy Day. This annual event brings together OCEA members from the OC Superior Court and elected members of Orange County’s state legislative delegation to discuss judicial branch funding. OCEA President Lezlee Neebe and OCEA Steward Mary Reynolds provided frontline feedback to Assembly members and State Senators. Our team met with nine legislative offices as well as the staff of the Senate and Assembly budget committees. Our team will continue to advocate in Sacramento to ensure fair treatment of Court workers.

OCEA Endorses Katrina Foley for Supervisor!
Last  month, the OCEA Board of Directors endorsed Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 2. A vacancy on the Board of Supervisors triggered a special election on March 9th. We support Katrina Foley because she has stood with OCEA members in the City of Costa Mesa where anti-union forces tried to outsource hundreds of union jobs. Mayor Foley is endorsed by OCEA, and the Orange County Labor Federation which includes firefighters, teachers, nurses.

One of her opponents in the race is John Moorlach, a man well-known to many OCEA members. Moorlach is a former District 2 supervisor and his years on the Board were spent attacking working families. Moorlach tried to change the County charter to allow MORE outsourcing of County jobs. He attacked collective bargaining rights, supported an anti-worker campaign in Costa Mesa calling for the layoff of 600 public workers. Moorlach consistently attacks pensions, and, proved to be a reliable YES vote for private campaign contributors seeking County contracts. In short, he is bad news. You can volunteer to stop Moorlach here!

OCEA Legislative Committee and Legislative Positions
Our California state legislature passes laws every day that impact government workers. There are also bills that attack the interests of OCEA members. Our union knows how important these laws are to our members and that is why we keep eye on what is happening in Sacramento through the OCEA Legislative Committee.

OCEA’s Legislative Committee meets monthly in consultation with advocates from Aaron Read & Associates. The committee members are comprised of OCEA Board members and provide frontline worker input on legislation that impacts you, your coworkers and your families.

They work together with other Labor organizations to identify issues and bills that require a response. The committee can take the following positions on legislation identified by members:

• Support: This means OCEA is an official supporter of the legislation, and our legislative advocate will work to ensure passage in the state legislature;
• Oppose: This means that OCEA will officially oppose the legislation. This can be because the bill hurts public workers or unions as a whole. At this point, OCEA will be actively opposing the bill through our advocate;
• Watch: Taking a “watch” position means that our legislative advocate will monitor the bill’s progress and notify OCEA of any changes. The union can then decide to support, oppose, or take no action.

The committee met on Tuesday, January 26. Click here to review the positions taken.

There is no shortage of political actors who wish to see the bargaining and workplace rights of working people reduced or eliminated. That’s why it is critical that unions mobilize voters and guide fellow workers in their decision-making process. We must always remember that politics will always take an interest in us regardless of whether we take an interest in politics.

In Solidarity,

Tim Steed
Assistant General Manager

Publication Date: February 4, 2021