Someone stole the OCEA hot dog wagon

I am writing this morning with disappointing news. Over the weekend, the secured parking area under the OCEA building was vandalized and breached, and the OCEA van, hot dog wagon and freezer containing 2,000 frozen OCEA hot dogs were stolen.

This morning, OCEA staff discovered the theft and immediately reported the incident to Santa Ana Police and our insurance providers. We also notified Probation Department workers who were expecting a visit from the wagon today. As a result of this theft, scheduled hot dog lunches will be cancelled until further notice.

The OCEA hot dog wagon is not just a barbecue. It provides an opportunity for all OCEA members to share a lunch together in unity, to ask questions of union representatives and stewards, and to learn about what’s happening on the job. The wagon also provides food to support community causes that are important to OCEA members, such as feeding homeless veterans at local Stand Down events. So it’s theft is offensive to all of us.

This week, we will take the necessary steps to secure the OCEA building, replace our stolen property, work with authorities, and get a hot dog wagon back up and running. For those of you who were counting on a visit from the hot dog wagon soon, we regret we won’t be there. And if you see a bright red grill or van in the area, please report it to authorities.

Publication Date: April 3, 2017