Urgent! Board of Supervisor Special Election impacts public workers

Dear OCEA member,

Last year was tough. The Coronavirus, a divisive election, and unrest in our streets took place while you and your co-workers continued providing essential government services to the public. I have never been more proud to stand together with working families.

The past year has also reminded us that serious threats can sometimes materialize from out of the blue. A vacancy on the Board of Supervisors was created when District 2 Supervisor Michelle Steel resigned after winning a Congressional seat. In that same election State Senator John Moorlach lost his re-election bid. Now that local voters have kicked him out of the legislature, he wants to slide back into Michelle Steel’s spot.

Many of you remember that Moorlach is a former District 2 supervisor and his years on the Board were spent attacking working families at every turn. Here is a small sample of Mr. Moorlach’s anti-worker rap sheet:  

• Moorlach tried to change the County charter to allow MORE outsourcing of County jobs;
• He attacked collective bargaining rights with an ordinance to make our contract negotiations public, a thinly veiled attempt to weaken our bargaining power;
• Moorlach supported an anti-worker campaign in Costa Mesa calling for the layoff of 600 public workers;
• He has consistently attacked our defined benefit pension benefits and has been a vocal proponent of retirement approaches which undermine your retirement security;
• Moorlach was a reliable YES vote for private campaign contributors seeking public contracts.

Mr. Moorlach was recently in the news again for allegedly smearing the reputation of a former staffer. You can read the story here.

We can do something about this. Four thousand (4,000!) OCEA members live in District 2. We need every one of them to vote for Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley in the upcoming District 2 Special Election. Mayor Foley is the Labor-endorsed candidate and has been a champion for working families her entire career.

Voters in District 2 will receive their ballots in the mail beginning February 8. The last day to vote is March 9. It’s time to get involved! You can volunteer to phone bank or send post cards urging voters to elect Mayor Foley. Click here for more information.

I know it’s a big ask especially after the last election but allowing John Moorlach back on the Board of Supervisors represents an existential threat to all County public servants. That’s not hyperbole, it’s a known fact.

In Solidarity,

Charles Barfield
OCEA General Manager

Publication Date: January 25, 2021