New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Labor

Sen. Huff questions why the SAUSD is allowing union organizers to misinform parents

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Editor Posted in Anaheim, Bob Huff, Education, Labor, Politics, Rick Miller, Santa Ana, SAUSD 28 Comments

Operate Openly with Trust and Integrity

by Senator Bob Huff

The news that union organizers with the Orange County Labor Federation are working to deliberately misinform parents about the truth regarding California’s Parent Trigger law should come as no surprise. Those who support the concept of school choice and the supposedly “radical” idea that every California child deserves the best education we can give them have been fighting entrenched union interests since Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Open Enrollment Act into law.

The Open Enrollment Act was a cornerstone of President Obama’s ambitious “Race to the Top” education reform effort that swept the nation nearly eight years ago. The President’s goals for reforming our public education system, which former Senator Gloria Romero and I supported, was the implementation of educational policies like performance-based evaluations for teachers and principals, support for charter schools and turning low-performance schools into education powerhouses. Continue reading→

Republicans aiming to take over the SAUSD School Board

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Editor Posted in Angie Rosario Cano, Cecilia Iglesias, Education, Gloria Alvarado, Gloria Romero, Jose Hernandez, Labor, Latinos, Marilyn Bernaudo-Delgado, Politics, Republican Party, Reyna Orozco, Rick Miller, Rosie Avila, Santa Ana, SAUSD 11 Comments

Have you ever heard of the Parent Trigger Law? It was authored by a Democrat, Gloria Romero, but has become a tool for Republicans to turn public schools into charter schools. Locally this has come to the forefront at the Palm Lane Elementary School in Anaheim.

The Parent Trigger can only be used in low performing schools – and Santa Ana has a lot of those. SAUSD Trustee Cecilia Iglesias was involved in the Palm Lane effort as an employee of State Senator Bob Huff, a Republican in north Orange County. Now she has recruited a team of candidates to take over the SAUSD School Board.

The candidates include Angie Rosario Cano, Reyna Orozco and Marilyn Bernaudo-Delgado. Cano ran previously for the School Board in 2014. Continue reading→

O.C. Labor Day event set for this Monday at the Orange County Fairgrounds

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Editor Posted in Costa Mesa, Labor, Orange County Leave a comment

Join the Orange County Labor Federation to celebrate Labor Day, on Monday, Sep. 7, 2015, at 10 am. They will be honoring their Labor Warriors with the unveiling of a Workers Memorial Monument at the Orange County Fairgrounds, located at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.

The Orange County Labor Federation represents more than ninety local unions from every sector of the labor movement with a membership of more than 200,000 working men and women. Click here to see the list of their affiliated unions. Continue reading→

Mayor Pulido to honor OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino on May 19

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Editor Posted in Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Labor, Nick Berardino, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Advisory: Mayor Pulido Honors Dominick “Nick” Berardino, General Manager of the Orange County Employees Association

Mayor Miguel Pulido will present Dominick “Nick” Berardino, General Manager of the Orange County Employees Association (OCEA), with the Exceptional Citizen Award for his outstanding service to the City of Santa Ana at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting.

OCEA is the largest independent public-employee labor union in Orange County. With its headquarters in Santa Ana, OCEA represents 18,000 public employees in their collective bargaining with public agencies. Dominick Bernardino joined OCEA in 1978 and has served as its general manager since 2004. Continue reading→

Senator Correa’s Annual Santa Ana Zoo event and food drive set for 11/23

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Editor Posted in Entertainment, Health and Medical, Labor, Lou Correa, Parks and Recreation, Politics, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

SENATOR LOU CORREA HOSTS 14TH ANNUAL DAY AT THE SANTA ANA ZOO EVENT

SANTA ANA – On Sunday, November 23, 2014, Senator Lou Correa will host his 14th Annual Holiday Canned Food and Toy Drive at Prentice Park located in the Santa Ana Zoo. The City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation & Community Services Agency is co-sponsoring the “Showmobile” that will be used for the live entertainment.

During the 14th Annual Holiday Canned Food and Toy Drive attendees will enjoy free health screenings including flu shots, lunch provided by the Orange County Employees Association, and opportunity drawings including: a television and tickets to Disneyland, Aquarium of the Pacific, and Knott’s Berry Farm. Families are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy or canned food that will be donated to Toys for Tots and the Orange County Food Bank.

The event will be held on: Continue reading→

Labor-backed Veterans Day event set for Nov. 11 at the OC Fair and Event Center

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Editor Posted in Charities, Costa Mesa, Labor, Military, Orange County, Santa Ana, Veterans Leave a comment

“Veterans and Labor – Partners in Service,” a special Veterans Day event, is set for Nov. 11, 2014 at the Orange County Fair & Event Center (88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa). For more information, check out the Veterans + Labor website by clicking here.

The event organizers are trying to raise at least 2,000 lbs (1 ton) of food and supplies for our veterans. This food drive is one of many service projects union members are hosting to help our veterans and their families.

Requested donations include: Continue reading→

Vietnamese community blasts Janet Nguyen for poverty wages

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Editor Posted in 2014 Elections, Health and Medical, Janet Nguyen, Labor, Santa Ana, Vietnamese, Westminster 1 Comment

MEDIA ADVISORY: October 28, 2014

Contact: Lynn Nguyen, 714-488-6506

Vietnamese community blasts Janet Nguyen for poverty wages

Caregivers who make just $9.30/hour will hold street demonstration in Westminster on Thursday

On October 30th, the Vietnamese community along with other members of the homecare community, are coming together to demand that Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen help local caregivers, seniors, and people with disabilities. Nearly 200 Vietnamese community members will gather to protest poverty wages for caregivers and demand better from our elected leaders.

In Orange County there are as many as 18,000 caregivers through the state’s In-Home Supportive Service program (IHSS), 4,000 of whom are Asian women, many are Vietnamese. Homecare workers provide care to our county’s most vulnerable residents, yet they are only paid $9.30/hour and haven’t seen a raise in over five years. Caregivers are asking the county for a seventy-five cent raise, which would be reimbursed by the state of California. Continue reading→

Why the Voice of OC keeps attacking Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Editor Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Irvine, Joe Dunn, Labor, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, told the O.C. Register, regarding the young man who wore a profane “FTP” hat that resulted in the shut down of this week’s Santa Ana City Council meeting, that he didn’t know if the hat’s profanity, or Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s actions, violated any Santa Ana city law. But, he said, by closing a public meeting and urging police to arrest people for staying, Pulido “clearly overreacted.”

How can Chemerinsky say that when “a large knife left behind was found” in the Council Chambers after the punks in question were cleared out, according to ABC7.

Here’s the problem with the Register quoting Chemerinsky – he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Voice of OC, a non-profit online news source funded by the Orange County Employee’s Association. And Chemerinsky as well as fellow VOC Board Member Joe Dunn, have a beef with Pulido that goes back a few years. Continue reading→

The OC Professional Firefighters Association is backing Mayor Pulido

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Editor Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Labor, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Mayor Pulido, Fire Truck

The Orange County Professional Firefighters Association has announced that they are endorsing Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido in this year’s November General Election.

This is the second major public safety endorsement that Pulido has picked up this week. He was endorsed yesterday by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, as we reported. Continue reading→

Ward 2 candidate Mirna Velasquez earns OC Labor Fed’s co-endorsement

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Editor Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Democratic Party, Elections, Labor, Michele Martinez, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Mirna Velasquez

The Orange County Labor Federation’s granted their COPE (Committee on Political Education) General Election endorsements to the three incumbents running for the Santa Ana City Council – Michele Martinez (Ward 2), David Benavides (Ward 4) and Sal Tinajero (Ward 6) but they also endorsed Ward 2 challenger Mirna Velasquez.

All of these incumbent candidates are Democrats and OC Labor tends to stick to the blue party. But Velasquez, the last time I heard, is a Decline to State voter. That she received a co-endorsement is pretty astounding and a good sign that she is indeed an electable City Council candidate.

Mirna’s bio: Continue reading→

Free anti-fraud workshop set for July 29 at Laborers Local 652

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Editor Posted in Entertainment, Labor, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 2 Comments

Learn Your Rights & Protect Yourself From Fraud

Assemblymember Tom Daly, in partnership with the California Bar Association, invites you to a free Anti-Fraud Workshop at Laborers Local 652 in Santa Ana, on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.

Learn about your rights when it comes to identify theft, renting a house or apartment, real estate and financing a home, and much more. Continue reading→

6th Annual Labor Day Celebration at the Santa Ana Zoo set for 8/30

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Editor Posted in Entertainment, Family, Labor Leave a comment

6th Annual Labor Day Celebration at the Santa Ana Zoo

The Orange County Labor Federation is hosting their 6th Annual Labor Day Celebration at the Santa Ana Zoo’s Ampitheatre park area on Saturday, August 30. The Santa Ana Zoo is located at 1801 E. Chestnut, in Santa Ana, at Prentice Park.

This event is for union members and their families from all across Orange County. Continue reading→

Santa Ana has $461M in unfunded public employee pension liabilities

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Editor Posted in Labor, Santa Ana 8 Comments

The Orange County Grand Jury has issued a new report on “Orange County City Pension Liabilities” and it turns out that the City of Santa Ana is very much in the hole.

Santa Ana has accrued $886M in public safety pensions and another $670M in other labor pensions. The bad news is that Santa Ana only has $639M in market value assets to pay off the public safety pensions (for retired firemen and police officers). Cops and firemen can retire at 55, and do so with huge pensions that can be in the six figures. Continue reading→

Judge strikes down public school tenure – goodbye bad teachers!

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Editor Posted in California, Education, Labor Leave a comment

Teachers’ unions suffered a major legal setback Tuesday after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that state laws governing teacher tenure are unconstitutional, according to CBS News. What does this judgement mean for kids enrolled in public schools in Santa Ana? Here is how Students First summed it up: Continue reading→

Janet Nguyen caught seeking and accepting union money for her Senate campaign

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Editor Posted in 2014 Elections, Janet Nguyen, Labor, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ruh roh Janet Nguyen

Jose Solorio for the 34th State Senate District

OC REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE JANET NGUYEN QUIETLY SEEKING & ACCEPTING UNION MONEY

Santa Ana, CA — Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen has been quietly seeking union endorsements and money on the campaign trail. Below is one example.

Behind in fundraising and trying to get support from wherever possible, Nguyen has violated the so-called “Baugh Manifesto” by accepting public union PAC money. Continue reading→