OCEA Employee - Orange County Employees Association
Transcription
OCEA Employee - Orange County Employees Association
Volume 61, No. 2 OCEA Employee Orange County, California March/April 2008 OCEA Employee The official publication of the Orange County Employees Association OCEA Welcomes John Leos as New Board Member At its March 18, 2008, Board of Directors meeting, our OCEA Board of Directors chose elevenyear OCEA member John Leos to fill a vacancy on the Board. John is a Deputy Juvenile Correctional Officer employed in the Probation Services Unit. John has been an OCEA Steward for four years. He was a member of our John Leos 2007 Coalition Bargaining Team, and he was also on our PSU Bargaining Team. John has been an active supporter of OCEA programs, including service as an OCEA Labor Management Committee member. He has also worked hard to support political candidates and propositions endorsed by OCEA. John, welcome to our Board of Directors! The Postman Always Rings Twice OCEA is a classic example of democracy in action. You, the member, are the most important person in our “hierarchy.” You elect our leaders, who in turn develop a philosophy or strategy based on what our members want. We often say that OCEA can be just about whatever our members want us to be! Viewed from another standpoint, OCEA IS our members, and our members ARE OCEA. We get things done, because we do it ourselves! We don’t depend on outsiders! That philosophy has kept OCEA a leading labor organization for decades! u Page 3 But some of our members may wonder exactly how they can take a more active part in carrying out OCEA’s mission! Take a look at the pyramid below! There is a place for you there. You may take part on one of OCEA’s Labor Management Committees. You might join the OCEA Women’s Forum Committee, or take part on our OCEA Political Action Committee. You might be interested in becoming an OCEA Steward, or running for our Board of Directors. You might even become OCEA President! Working on your taxes? It all starts with a phone call to your OCEA Labor Relations Representative: Frank Eley is back as our OCEA President! Check out his OCEA President’s Message for this issue! u Page 2 Old Dogs, Children, and . . . (You know the rest!) OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino teaches some lessons based on Tom T. Hall’s classic song “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine.” It's just a couple of pages away. OCEA: We’re on a roll! Check out the OCEA “tax guide” for help on your taxes. At a recent OCEA Steward meeting, OCEA Labor Relations Representative Tim Steed shared insights on how to locate potential Stewards and help them get going! Tim made it seem easy! OCEA President Chosen by OCEA’s Board of Directors OCEA Board of Directors Elected by OCEA’s membership OCEA Stewards Trained members who support OCEA Informal OCEA Leaders Not necessarily stewards . . . (714) 835-3355 u Page 5 A war is being waged . . . . . . against the middle class. Learn more by looking at our center spread. u Pages 8-9 Special Events and Discounts u Page 14-15 OCEA Member Recruitment Drive Coming! Watch our website for details! www.oceamember.org OCEA Stewards are listening avidly to presentations at our March 11, 2008, Steward meeting in OCEA’s Assembly Room. OCEA CALENDAR OCEA PAC Meeting Third Thursday each month OCEA Board of Directors Meeting Third Tuesday each month OCEA Women’s Forum April 23: “Manage Your Money” OCEA Steward Meeting Second Tuesday each month OCEA President’s Message The Postman Always Rings Twice Frank Eley OCEA President They say “the postman always rings twice.” I’m not exactly the postman, but I’m back anyway, “ringing” again. Some of you who have been around a while will remember that I had the honor of serving you as OCEA President from 1993 through the year 2000—from before the County’s 1994 bankruptcy and extending several years after that. And now, here I am again! I want to begin by saying “thank you” to our Board of Directors, which has skillfully guided us through difficult times over the past few years, for their commitment and for the sacrifices they have made for the good of our OCEA membership. I especially want to single-out Sara Ruckle-Harms for her friendship and leadership during the past year, during which she served as OCEA President. Sara is planning to retire this summer, and it will be difficult to say goodbye to her! It has now been a little over fifteen years since I wrote my first OCEA President’s message, in January 1993. Looking at it again now, I see that the big picture hasn’t changed much. At that time, I wrote: “Lastly, in looking to the New Year ahead, it’s no secret that this will be the most challenging year for OCEA in a long time.” But then, as now, I expressed optimism that our team would get through it all—as, of course, we did. I little suspected at the beginning of 1993 that less than two years later the County would be filing for bankruptcy. But we got through that, too, and those of you who were members then will remember that OCEA played a key role in opposing layoffs, and in getting us all through the bankruptcy and its aftermath. In any event, this year the challenges we face are clear cut. We are continuing to withstand attacks on our pensions and medical benefits, and we are striking back at those people who want to balance state and local budgets on the backs of our members. In coming months, you’ll be hearing more and more from OCEA about the diminishing (and disappearing) middle class, and about OCEA’s role in helping to preserve the middle class. We talk about the disappearing middle class, but does that apply to us in “affluent” Orange County? You better believe it! Consider the following, from a 2006 article in the Orange County Register: Victor Becerra, director of UCI’s Community Outreach Partnership Center, said the latest data on incomes “exacerbates the claim by many, which I think is true, that Orange County is economically bifurcated. You have the wealthy and then you have the poor. And increasingly shrinking, very rapidly, is the middle class. “The long-term implications in terms of a bifurcation can’t be healthy,” and will hurt the county’s image with people who might otherwise want to move or travel here, Becerra said. Overall, people in Orange County tend to earn more money than elsewhere (even though we Attention OCEA Members! OCEA is pleased to announce that applications for the 2008 OCEA Board of Directors Scholarship are now being accepted! Here’s another great benefit of OCEA membership! OCEA is sponsoring two $2,000 scholarships for children or stepchildren of OCEA members (or whose legal guardian or financially responsible grandparent is an OCEA member). Eligibility for consideration is contingent on enrollment (or acceptance with intent to enroll) in an accredited college, university, or community college. Further eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and applications are available at OCEA or on the OCEA website. Applications must be received at OCEA on or before July 18, 2008, and the awards will be announced at the August meeting of the OCEA Board of Directors. For scholarship application and rules, call OCEA at (714) 835-3355, or visit www.oceamember.org. Page 2 – March/April 2008 have a poverty level of around 9%). But in spite of these higher earnings, it is hard for many of us—perhaps most of us—to make ends meet. Car expenses, including gasoline, are a nightmare in our car-based culture. How about housing? If you are renting, forget it! You are paying skyhigh rents and there is little room for any taxdeductions to decrease that burden. It’s even harder for those of us with children. A lot of us have childcare or preschool expenses that can easily run $4,000 per year—for one child. Typical childcare expenses in families with two children are often in the $12,000 range, depending largely on the ages of the children. If you are choosy about which schools your kids are going to attend—well, so is everybody else! The result is even higher housing costs. So, our work is cut out for us. Let’s keep informed, and let’s stay focused on our goals as OCEA members during the coming year. In conclusion, remember: I’m “ringing twice.” And if you’ll give me the same kind of support which you offered the fist time I rang, we’ll do fine. Here’s to a great 2008! Frank Eley OCEA President EMPLOYEE Orange County Employees Association OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Frank Eley........................................ President Robert Gibson.....................1st Vice President Arlyn Buck........................ 2nd Vice President Lezlee Neebe......................................Secretary Ron Cooper...................................... Treasurer Cheryl Neuenschwander...... Insurance Officer Sara Ruckle-Harms.................... Past President Russell Baldwin........................ Forensic Science Arlyn Buck................................. Social Services Luisa Camino.......................SSA/Adult Services Alan Dean Clow......................Public Defender Ron Cooper.............................. Assessor’s Office Becki Daher..............................Sheriff-Coroner Frank Eley............................................RDMD Jeff Gallagher.................................... Probation Eusebio “Butch” Garcia...... Social Services Agency Robert Gibson.................................. Probation Steven Johnson................... Health Care Agency John Leos.......................................... Probation Lezlee Neebe.................... Superior Court Clerk Cheryl Neuenschwander... Superior Court Clerk Phyllis Oudmayer.......... Child Support Services Chris Prevatt........HCA/Tobacco Use Prevention Sara Ruckle-Harms.................District Attorney Bill Stein...................................Sheriff-Coroner Pamela Waters.......................................Library COMMITTEE CHAIRS Arlyn Buck.........................................Courtesy Arlyn Buck.................................Special Events Ron Cooper.......................................... Bylaws Frank Eley.......................................Retirement Frank Flavin.................................... Legislative Lezlee Neebe......... Newspaper/Communications Editor: Thomas A. Sawyer Design & Layout: Kevin Rush 830 North Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 835-3355 The OCEA Employee newspaper (USPS 004-330) is published six times annually; bimonthly for January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December, by the Orange County Employees Association, 830 N. Ross, P.O. Box 177, Santa Ana, CA 92702; telephone (714) 835-3355. Periodical postage paid at Santa Ana, California. Subscription prices: members, $3.00 per year; non-members, $6.00 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Orange County Employees Association, P.O. Box 177, Santa Ana, CA 92702-0177. Advertising in the OCEA Employee newspaper does not constitute OCEA endorsement of the products or services advertised. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Orange County Employees Association unless specifically so stated. Contributions in the form of articles, photographs, human-interest incidents, retirement news, etc., are welcomed and encouraged. Articles for publication must be received by OCEA no later than the first of each month. Association office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except public holidays. OCEA reserves the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. Photographs will be returned only upon request. Copyright 2008 by the Orange County Employees Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion or contents prohibited by law. Printed by Anchor Printing, Tustin, CA. OCEA is your union! Get involved! OCEA General Manager’s Message Nick Berardino OCEA General Manager “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine”: Is Our Dream Fading? Back in the old days of the 60s, 70s, and even 80s, one of the top songwriters in the nation was a man named Tom T. Hall. Even if you don’t know the name, you’ve heard his songs. He’s known as “The Storyteller,” because so many of his songs tell a story. His song “Harper Valley PTA” was a colossal hit for Jeannie C. Riley, back in 1968. Of the countless songs Tom has written, 11 have reached number 1 on the country charts, and 26 others have been in the Top 10. As a recording artist, Tom has been terrifically successful, and he has had such hits as “I Love,” and the number-1 hit, “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine.” If you’ve heard “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine,” you probably remember it. It was the story of Tom’s meeting up with an elderly man, who told Tom that he’d “tried it all,” but the only things in the world worth anything were “old dogs, and children, and watermelon wine.” Tom’s picturesque language and haunting melody were definitely the makings of a great song. Lately, I’ve been thinking a little about the closing words of the song: That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime— Of old dogs, and children, and watermelon wine. There is something strangely evocative, even eerie, about these lines. This song was based on a real occurrence in Tom’s life, and it seems that Tom, the successful songwriter, saw this other man’s philosophy as symbolic of some real truth—and that he caught a glimpse of that real truth as he slept that night. And note, it was peaceful sleep! What’s better than that? And, you know, life’s real, basic truths are apt to be this simple. I don’t have any dogs. My kids are growing up. I’ve never tasted watermelon wine (and I don’t have any reputation as a drinker). But to me, this song is a reminder that life is only complicated because we make it that way. But things are rarely black and white. At OCEA, and in our actions with the County and Court, and with many cities and districts, things are unavoidably complicated, and getting more so all the time. Whether we are preparing for bargaining, studying legislation, handling grievances, or dealing with any of a thousand other OCEA matters, things are complex. They require close study, and they mean occasional sleepless nights. Can we turn back the clock? No, we can’t. And I don’t know that I would want to. In many ways, America is better now than it has been at any time in the past. The problem is, being better off comes at a price, in cold dollars and cents. We have better medical care available than in the past, but its costs border on prohibitive. Our houses and apartments are better built, and many even have fire sprinklers, but this, too, comes at a cost. We are living longer, and our compensation has to pay, directly or indirectly, for our expenses (including medical expenses) during significantly longer lives. In terms of pure “money coming in,” hardly any of us are better off than our parents—and in many cases, our parents had it pretty rough! Household incomes are somewhat higher, but that’s mainly because in many cases there are now two people (or more) in a household providing income to help the family scratch toward the dream. The middle class is vanishing, but it might be clearer if we said that the American dream is fading. In some ways, we are indeed better off than we were in the past. But the bottom-line, irrefutable point is this: we are not as well off as we would be if it were not for things such as an unfair system of taxes, breaks given to corporations, exploitative employers, anti-union businesses, unfair pay and benefits, junking of pensions by major corporations, and so on. The little guy, the person who often has no voice, is suffering so the fatcats can have more money than they know what to do with. And, please, the canard that the rich are being bled to death by taxes is ridiculous. The rich people are—well, RICH! The people who are being bled are the lower-class and middle-class. What’s the solution? I don’t have all the answers, but I am confident that all of us must play an active role in OCEA if we are to reverse the current trend. Unions are playing a key role, and will continue to do so, in this struggle. Look at these words, found toward the beginning of Tom T. Hall’s song, “Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine”: I was sittin’ in Miami, pouring blended whiskey down, . . . See the contrast portrayed in this song? What he drank was blended whisky; what he dreamed about (“That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep...”) was watermelon wine. Our lives are one thing. Our dreams are another. For most of us, the disappearing middle class will only place our dreams that much farther away. Nick Berardino OCEA General Manager Shorpy Higginbotham and Workplace Safety In Orange County, in part due to the nature of the primary occupations, work-related tragedies seldom become big news. However, to the families of those who have been killed or seriously injured here, the results can be catastrophic. They live with the horrible results long after most people have forgotten about the tragic events. Our current administration in Washington has an extremely poor reputation regarding workplace safety. As recently as January of this year, President George Bush was threatening to veto a mine-safety bill. It’s been that way for a long time. Here’s a quotation from 2006, from the “Democracy Now!” website (typifying the views of pro-labor activists): For various reasons, we tend to think of coal-mining as one of the most dangerous occupations, but as a matter of fact, in the year 2000, timber cutters, fishermen, and pilots were engaged in substantially more dangerous jobs (based on fatalities). Nonetheless, “extractive occupations,” which include coal mining, were more than ten times as dangerous as all occupations on average. Critics contend that the Bush administration is beholden to the mining industry and has gutted safety and health regulations in the mines. They point to figures from the Center for Responsive Politics which show that over the last 6 years, coal companies gave $9 million to mostly republican federal candidates. One of the astonishing things about workplace disasters is the shocking numbers of people who have been killed in them. The worst coal-mining disaster was a gas and coal-dust explosion in the Benxihu Colliery (China), in 1942. The death toll was an unbelievable 1,549. For those who say, “it can’t happen here,” it should be noted that the United States has suffered at least four mining catastrophes which claimed 200 or more lives, including one as recent as 1937. Less destructive disasters have also been calamitous. One of the most remarkable of these was the Farmington Mine Disaster, in 1968, in West Virginia, which took 78 lives. bladder from “falling rock” in a mine. Sadly, one of his brothers, Jack, had been killed by a mining mishap a few years earlier. n If you read closely the November-December issue of the OCEA Employee newspaper, you probably noticed the little 1910 photo of men and boys employed at the Bessie Mine, in Alabama. The only boy whose full name was given was Shorpy Higginbotham. It turns out that a number of researchers have been intrigued by this boy Shorpy. See, for example: www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/henryhigginbotham1.html Shorpy was born on November 23, 1896, so he was fourteen when the photo was taken. Tragically, he died January 25, 1928, after 10 days in the hospital. He had sustained a crushed pelvis and ruptured OCEA is your union! Get involved! Shorpy Higginbotham, who was pictured in a 1910 “group shot” in our November-December issue. Shorpy was a “greaser,” evidently responsible for greasing the axels of the coal cars at the “tipple” at Bessie Mine, in Alabama. March/April 2008 – 3 OCEA LMC Updates Assessor Department LMC Subcommittee Reports: Aaron Peardon, OCEA Labor Relations Representative Workplace Enhancement: The FTP server issue has still not been resolved and is still being researched. Conflicting responses have been provided by the County Data Center as to whether or not it’s feasible or allowable to have this link to the State, primarily for the purpose of uploading large files directly to it, rather than continue to send hardcopies by Federal Express. The Orange County Assessor’s Department Labor Management Committee meeting was held on January 9, 2008. This is the second meeting in which OCEA participated. The meeting was attended by several employees, including OCEA members Bonnie Forsythe and Jerry Nava. OCEA Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon introduced the Department to their new OCEA representative, OCEA Senior Labor Relations Representative Loretta van der Pol. Loretta is returning to OCEA following a year off for medical reasons. Over the past two years, OCEA and the Assessor’s Department have worked diligently on establishing a strong working relationship between management and employees. With the help of members of management such as Shaw Lin, Steve Harness, and County Assessor Webster Guillory, we have formulated a relationship that mutually benefits both sides. We continue to work on resolving employee issues at the earliest possible point, and strive to improve the lives of Assessor Department employees. Loretta brings many years of experience into this endeavor and will continue this important process. Items discussed during the meeting included the security of Department computer systems, earthquake safety, and cellphone usage. The Department is attempting to implement a computer system that will simplify the security protocol for the computer technology systems. On the issue of earthquakes, Bonnie Forsythe suggested the idea of providing earthquake safety kits to every employee. The idea is that these kits could be kept under an employee’s desk and would help survival in the event of a catastrophic earthquake. The Department is going to investigate the possibility of providing these kits and will follow-up during the next meeting. Lastly, Bill Price asked Webster Guillory to define the Department’s policy on cell-phone usage. Webster stated that employees need to use their own judgment and common sense. The use of cell phones in occasional personal emergencies is acceptable. The simple point is, do not be on the phone throughout the day, or sending and receiving text messages when you are supposed to be working. We all will have issues that we sometimes need to address, and as long as the use of cell phones is not abused, it should not be a problem. OCEA is happy to be a part of the Assessor Department LMC, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Department in resolving workplace issues through this process. Health Care Agency LMC Loretta van der Pol, OCEA Senior Labor Relations Representative Report for Meeting of January 9, 2008 The Workplace Enhancement, Communications/ Project Development, Recruitment, and Best Practices subcommittees all met prior to the full meeting. Those meetings were very productive. The Team Leaders reported that the work put into the Christmas Luncheon meeting was discussed and considered very successful. The HCA co-sponsor David Thiessen provided an update on the unknown state of the impact of the Governor’s budget announcement on County operations. The new OCEA co-sponsor, Loretta van der Pol, introduced OCEA’s Jason Motsick as the other new OCEA co-sponsor. HCA’s Human Resources team member, Karen Hodel, discussed the status of the upcoming graduation of 30+ participants in the HCA Leadership Training. She also provided a description of a newer, more user-friendly “Learning Management System” that tracks the County courses taken by employees. The caseload issue submitted by an employee in Adult Behavioral Health appears to have been resolved and the employee is satisfied. This LMC issue was closed. A new issue involving the parking lot at the 17th Street facility was submitted and research is to begin. Communications/Project Development: The new subcommittee chair discussed being approached by a couple of new members about LMC handbooks; the location of guidelines for the Team Excellence Award; and archived information for past “What’s Up” and OCEA newsletter articles. These issues were addressed after brief discussion. Recruitment: Public Health (and specifically the Public Health/Regulatory Health combination) is short one representative on the LMC, as is Correctional Medical Services. The subcommittee will work with management to try and identify potential candidates. Best Practices: This subcommittee has had to revamp its work twice and is attempting to resume meeting. New Business: There has been discussion in the recent past about reducing the LMC meeting frequency to every other month, with the subcommittees continuing to meet monthly. The issue was tabled until next month, after the subcommittees check on the viability of meeting on this basis, but with flexibility on the dates and times. Reports would be submitted to the LMC members after those meetings. There were also opinions expressed about the benefits of both monthly and bi-monthly meetings. The majority of the LMC members also participate in one of the four standing subcommittees. Report for Meeting of February 13, 2008 Questions were asked about Leadership Development Training, training in general, and the timeliness of reimbursements. The Human Resources representative on the LMC gave some information on the training team, and on where the most current reimbursement forms can be located, but asked to be able to provide more detailed information in the next meeting. The committee voted to accept a new member, Gregory Fuller, who works at one of the Drug and Alcohol Clinics. In the January meeting, there had been discussion about changing the larger committee’s meeting frequency to every other month, while keeping the subcommittees on a monthly schedule. It was determined that the status quo was working and should be maintained. Subcommittee Reports: Communications/Project Development: The Team Excellence Awards project is beginning for the current year. There was discussion about the process that’s been used in the past and how the HCA Executive Committee sets the deadline for the announcement in the “What’s Up” newsletter. Recruitment: The subcommittee is still functioning without a chairperson. The LMC Co-Leaders will work with the members to try to resolve the issue. Representation appears to be equitable except in Animal Care Services, so an e-mail was sent to the division manager requesting some candidates. There was also discussion about the target number of LMC representatives being 30 to 35, while the core group is around 15. (The issue of non-attendance may need to be addressed by the Co-Leaders.) The OCEA/HCA LMC in action! Here we see several of the members of this large and effective Labor Management Committee. The photo was taken at OCEA on February 13, 2008. Left to right: OCEA Board member Chris Prevatt; Larry Pritchett; Co-Chair Greg Manning; Co-Chair Elizabeth Bausman; and Karen Hadel. Page 4 – March/April 2008 OCEA is your union! Get involved! Workplace Enhancement: Progress is being made on the storage of County records. The issue of parking on 17th Street is progressing also, with RDMD scheduled to conduct a traffic survey. On the issue of file transfers, examples of the business need for certain types of emails and files to have the size restrictions lifted will be taken to the Executive Committee for presentation to IT. The issue of AMHS caseloads was closed and moved to the Best Practices committee. Report for Meeting of March 12, 2008 Two guests from the area in Human Resources responsible for the processing of Educational and Professional Reimbursements, as well as those for mileage, gave a good presentation on the program. They walked the members through the steps, and explained how and where delays can occur. There were concerns raised about identity theft and the need to put Social Security numbers on the forms, which are usually ponied to Human Resources for processing, then ponied again to the Auditor-Controller’s office for the issuance of checks. The Auditor-Controller’s office is trying to address this problem by looking at ways to switch to a process or programming that will allow the use of employee numbers, instead. At present, Social Security numbers are needed because the reimbursements need to be loaded into the W-2 program. There was discussion about the unknown impact of the state’s budget. Subcommittee Reports: Communications/Project Development: The application process for the Team Excellence Awards are ready for publicizing. The HCA Executive Management group will discuss the project for approval at its next meeting, and it will be on the LMC agenda in May. The applications will be made available in June, which will keep it on track for presentation at HCA’s Employee Appreciation event in August. Articles and contact information will be placed in both the Agency’s “What’s Up” newsletter and OCEA’s newspaper. Recruitment: The subcommittee is still functioning without a chairperson. The LMC Co-Leaders encouraged the members to think about volunteering before the next meeting. If there is no volunteer at that time, one will be appointed. Representation is adequate in terms of having every area represented, but the large areas may be under-represented. A request will go out for candidates from CMS and Disease Control. Workplace Enhancement: County Records are in the process of being scanned and the problem of storage should be diminishing very soon. On the issue of parking on 17th Street, RDMD performed a traffic study and will be taking the following actions: speed bumps will be installed, “Stop” lines will be added in several lanes, a pedestrian walkway will be striped in the primary lane, and signage, including directional signs, will be repainted. On the issue of file transfers, three examples of the business need for certain types of emails and files to have the size restrictions lifted were received. Another attempt to collect examples will be made before going to the Executive Committee for presentation to IT. Public Defender LMC Aaron Peardon, OCEA Labor Relations Representative Report for Meeting of November 29, 2007 The Orange County Public Defender’s Labor Management Committee meeting was held on November 29, 2007. With the departure of Marisol Daniels from OCEA, Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon is once again the OCEA representative for the Public Defender after nearly a year away from the Department. The meeting was attended by over twelve employes of the Department. Topics of discussion included healthy recipes, healthy speakers, the staff Christmas party, and the possibility of a Public Defender picnic. OCEA member Maribel Franquez has taken the lead in compiling healthy recipes from Public Defender employees and posting them on the Department’s intranet for everyone to share. Some of the recipes collected include roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, pasta fagioli, and sour creamapple muffins, all of which are healthy low-calorie choices. Continuing with the theme of healthy employees, the Department is discussing the idea of having speakers from health-related organizations and companies come to lunch meetings to discuss different topics of interest such as heart health and early detection of cancer. OCEA Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon is working with OCEA member Nancy Jewell to provide names of possible contacts. (Continued on page 7) OCEA Staff Close-Up Jini Childress OCEA Receptionist Nine times out of ten, when you call OCEA on the telephone, or pay us a visit, the first voice you hear, or the first face you see, is that of Jini Childress, our OCEA receptionist. Jini answers the phones, greets visitors, and performs many other duties, including answering as many questions as possible that do not involve benefits or employee relations. (It is Jini who prepares the list of new OCEA members you see in each issue of this newspaper.) Jini Childress at a recent OCEA Health Fair. Jini was born in Yonkers, New York, a city famous for the Yonkers Raceway (and fourth largest city in the state). After three years in New York, her family took a seven-year “vacation” in Miami, Florida, and in 1953 moved to Hollywood, California. Jini is married (and now has five grandchildren), and loves cats, Sean Connery, and Mel Gibson! She’s an avid reader and says “Barnes and Noble will call if I've not made a purchase in a week!” Her lifelong dream is to go to England! A perfect day for Jini? Spending all day at the three-story Barnes and Noble at the Grove in Hollywood with Starbucks on the first floor! Adoption! When: Friday, May 23, or July 18, 2008 Who can do it? 6:30 – 8:00 PM Where: Anaheim Community Center 250 E. Center St., Anaheim How can I do it? FOR INFORMATION & TO REGISTER CALL: Find the answers! (714) 704-8946 (Does not replace SSA Orientation Meeting.) Working on your taxes? To help make tax time easier for our members, we are providing the following information! The OCEA Payroll Deduction Amounts for Membership Dues, Voluntary Insurance Plans, and Other Benefit Programs for 2007 Are Listed Below Dental DHMO—DeltaCare CAM 42 OCEA Annual Membership Dues (County & Court) Full-Time $261.56 Part-Time or Extra-Help $130.78 Member Only Member with 1 Dependent Member with 2 or More Dependents Health & Welfare Participants (Option 1) $71.28 $104.72 $265.26 Health & Welfare Participants (Option 2) $71.28 $104.72 $265.26 Health & Welfare Participants (Option 3) Vision Service Plan Insurance $217.74 $413.02 $608.06 Non-Health & Welfare Enrollee $217.74 $413.02 $608.06 Retiree $217.81 $413.08 $608.36 Delta Dental DPO Plan A+ Member Only Member with 1 Dependent Member with 2 or More Dependents Health & Welfare Participants (Option 1) $248.82 $661.70 $1,255.02 Health & Welfare Participants (Option 2) $248.82 $661.70 $1,255.02 Health & Welfare Participants (Option 3) $329.94 $758.68 $1,340.30 Non-Health & Welfare Enrollee $530.14 $980.46 $1,558.44 Note: For members of OCEA affiliates, the tax-deductible amounts are $261.56 for full-time, full-year employees and $130.78 for part time or extra help full-year employees. The foregoing does not apply to members of contract associations. Member Only Member with 1 Dependent Member with 2 or More Dependents Option 1 no charge $45.03 $160.98 Option 2 no charge $45.03 $160.98 Option 3 $55.68 $73.02 $131.08 Non-H & W enrollee $100.96 $146.04 $261.96 Retiree $100.86 $146.05 $261.85 Pre-Paid Legal Insurance Basic Plan $179.52 Basic Plan with 24-hour coverage $191.52 Extended Plan $287.52 OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 5 HCA/OCEA Team Excellence Award for 2008 In Memoriam Jim Nowlin Comprehensive Care Nurse, Correctional Mental Health County of Orange Longtime OCEA member . . . Beginning in April, the Orange County Health Care Agency/OCEA Labor Management Committee will be seeking nominations for the 2008 Steve Ambriz Team Excellence Award. The award is expected to be presented in August. For those who may be unfamiliar with the award and its criteria, it’s intended to recognize the most effective work teams – those who exemplify the principles of Enlightened Leadership and Team Excellence through creative collaboration. January 14, 1954 – January 31, 2008 Devoted husband, father, friend . . . Friendly, wise, caring, smiling, outgoing, helpful, loving—Jim was all these things. 1. A description of the nominee’s program and its accomplishments; 2. A description of how the nominee’s team shines in the areas of its talents, strengths, going above and beyond, problem solving, self evaluation, and creativity; and 3. The submission of any other information that would support the application. When the open period for the submission of nominations begins in April, information and applications will be available on the HCA website at http://balsam/intranet/lmc/default.asp. But words will never fully express all that Jim was to those who knew and loved him. On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend’s life also, in our own, to the world. —Henry David Thoreau Frank Flavin Leaves OCEA Board of Directors and Joins OCEA Staff Nominees are evaluated through a points system that rates the following: Once completed, they may be returned via e-mail to lmcteamexcellence@ ochca.com, or in a sealed envelope addressed to: HCA/OCEA LMC Team Excellence Awards, HCA Human Resources, Bldg. 38-AE. The deadline for the submission of nominations is May 1, 2008. —Loretta van der Pol, OCEA Senior Labor Relations Representative Know Your RIGHTS! – I nvestigatory M eetings – In the present discussion, references to Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) refer to agreements entered into between OCEA and the County of Orange, or between OCEA and the Court. Before imposing discipline, an employer—such as the County, the Court, a city, or a special district—may call an employee in for an investigatory meeting. Frank Flavin, left, receives a plaque from OCEA President Frank Eley. Frank Flavin has joined the OCEA staff after several years of service on our OCEA Board of Directors. Frank recently retired from County service, where he had worked as a Deputy Juvenile Correctional Officer II in the Probation Department. In connection with his retirement, Frank recently resigned from our Board of Directors and PAC board. During the time he was a County employee, Frank was one of our all-time great Stewards and received the President’s Award (OCEA’s highest accolade) multiple times. We are lucky to have him aboard as an OCEA Labor Relations Representative! Page 6 – March/April 2008 What is an investigatory meeting? In most employment contexts, an investigatory meeting (or investigatory interview) is a meeting attended by an employee and one or more management representatives, where the employee is asked questions about a subject and where the employee reasonably believes that discipline may be imposed on the employee as a result of the employee’s answers. It is possible that management will call the meeting while believing that the employee will not be disciplined. The purpose from management’s standpoint might be the investigation of an employee other than the one attending the meeting. The employee, however, may have reason to believe that “if management knew what I knew,” the employee might well be disciplined. So, the two elements that are present are: 1. A meeting on a subject; and 2. A reasonable belief on the part of the employee that he or she might be disciplined (as examples: reprimanded orally or in writing; suspended; reduced; discharged). OCEA is your union! Get involved! What are the employee’s rights relating to the meeting? Boiled down, the employee’s rights are as follows: 1. The right to be informed of the subject matter of the meeting. 2. The right to be informed that discipline might result. 3. The right to be informed that he or she has the right to have a representative present. 4. The right to have a representative present. 5. The right against self-incrimination. For County and Court employees, the information specified in items 1, 2, and 3 must be in writing. There are a number of rights that flow from the above rights. For example, the meeting must be scheduled at a reasonable time. The schedule of the employee’s representative must also be considered. The representative must be allowed to take notes, object to questions, clarify answers, and so on. Here it is in a nutshell: Know Your Weingarten Rights! You have the right to have your OCEA Representative present at any investigatory meeting which you reasonably believe may lead to discipline. If you are questioned by your supervisor or other management representative for alleged misconduct at work respectfully request that you be allowed to contact your OCEA Steward. Do not answer any questions until you have talked to your representative. If you cannot contact your OCEA Steward or OCEA Staff Labor Relations Representative, ask to have your meeting rescheduled until you have had an opportunity to consult with an OCEA Representative or Staff Representative. OCEA Staff Close-Up Loretta van der Pol OCEA Senior Labor Relations Representative Loretta van der Pol is a Senior Labor Relations Representative who joined OCEA in May, 2002. Formerly, Loretta worked as an analyst, supervisor, and middle-manager in the federal government, the California State University, and cities and special districts for over eighteen years after leaving the private sector. That experience included developing and administering large budgets, and supervising or managing in facilities management, human resources, communications, safety, training, risk management, industrial engineering, information systems, and program development. Every position had a large component of labor relations and human resources responsibilities, including conducting investigations, hearing and deciding grievances, conducting negotiations, advocating in arbitrations, developing job classifications, and recruiting. Loretta is one of OCEA’s most experienced labor relations people. She has played a major role in OCEA’s progress during her time here. In addition, Loretta is generous, kind, and friendly, and is always thinking about “the other guy.” Loretta is active in the political aspects of OCEA’s activities, and she played a major role in our defeat of Proposition 75 (“paycheck deception”). Loretta lives in Fullerton, and between her and her husband, they have four children ranging in age from twentyseven to twenty. Two of the girls are professional actors, Loretta van der Pol and the one in the middle is an artist. The youngest attends college and works part-time. Loretta has a BA in Social Sciences, with an emphasis in Political Science, and works sporadically on a master’s degree. Her interests include movies, cooking, family events, and political activism. OCEA Steward Close-Up Steve Otting OCEA Steward OCEA Steward Locates “Lost” Money Steve Otting, in the CEO’s Office, Aids in the Recovery of $8,000 by the Department of Child Support Services Ever heard Brad Paisley’s song “Ain’t Nothin’ Like”? Paisley says: “Ain’t nothin’ like finding twenty dollars in the pocket of the britches that you wore last week.” OCEA Steward Steve Otting has felt like that pretty often during the last couple of years as he has spent hundreds of hours of his own time tracking down money in the “britches that the County wore last week”—money which belongs to the County, but which the County has not claimed. These are funds that escheated to the state for “safekeeping.” Steve estimates that he has located about $150,000 in money owed to the County, which typically the County has not taken action to recover. One glowing exception: the Department of Child Support Services, which claimed $7,975 due to Steve’s work. Steve has been an OCEA member for about a decade now, and an OCEA Steward for about a year. Steve became a Steward after speaking with OCEA Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon, who told him that we needed him as a Steward because of his concern for others. Steve has been enjoying his experience as an OCEA Steward. He says he is proud of being a Steward, and helping watch out for those he works with, but that the whole process is also a learning experience, as he takes part in Steward activities. He also believes that his work is contributing to the good of the agency. Steve Otting at a recent Steve is employed OCEA Steward Meeting. by the County in the County Executive Office, as an Accounting Assistant II. He has a master’s degree in organizational management, and says he gets excited when he sees the dollar amounts that the County is owed. Steve went through the County bankruptcy and was one of those who was laid off (but was ultimately called back). Steve enjoys working for the County, and has been employed by the County for seventeen years. He says, “I enjoy helping people.” OCEA LMC Updates - continued from page 4 OCEA was happy to donate ten movie tickets to the Public Defender Christmas party. We also look forward to participating in the Public Defender picnic if this event is held. The idea of a picnic is a popular one and will be discussed at the next LMC meeting. Report for Meeting of February 28, 2008 The Orange County Public Defender’s LMC was held on February 28, 2008. Attendees included Diana Hantsche and Tom Havlena of Public Defender management as well as OCEA members Leticia Baez, Maribel Franquez, Sandra Hanson, and Charlene Marshall. Maribel Franquez is leading the ongoing project of collecting healthy recipes for the Public Defender’s online cookbook. OCEA Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon is continuing to work with OCEA member Nancy Jewell in contacting speakers from health organizations to speak with employees about health-related issues. assigned to locations that are closest to their homes. Diana Hantsche explained that while this would be nice to do for employees, it does not follow with the goals of the Department. The Public Defender’s Office practice of rotating among locations is designed to give employees exposure to different courts and a broader knowledge of the overall process of the work that is done. Therefore, the practice of rotating will continue. The second request made was for the addition of an investigative assistant at the 901 building. Diana Hantsche is going to look into this request and report back to the committee at the next meeting. The final suggestion was to give investigators access to MySpace without having to go through their supervisors. The reason for this request is that it is a valuable tool in conducting investigations, as witnesses often have MySpace accounts and the investigator can conduct research including seeing pictures of what witnesses look like. Again, Diana will be looking into this issue and report back at the next meeting. This LMC has been very proactive on every issue brought forward. Our next meeting will be in late June and I look forward to continuing to work with this group to continue to improve the workplace of Public Defender employees. In discussing issues from last meeting, the Department is unable to provide Bluetooth or global positioning satellite technology to field investigators. The County policy for taking phone calls while driving is to pull over to a safe location and then proceed with the phone call. With current budget restraints, the Department cannot afford to purchase GPS systems at this time, but may revisit the issue in the future. Currently the Department provides other means for investigators to find locations while in the field. The Public Defender’s office is still discussing the possibility of a staff picnic in the summer and may also include an Angels game as part of the festivities. OCEA has offered to provide the OCEA Hot Dog Wagon for this event. New business discussed included suggestions from employees. One such suggestion was to keep employees OCEA Labor Relations Representative Aaron Peardon (foreground) met on March 6, 2008, with a number of our Law Library members, regarding upcoming Law Library negotiations. OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 7 From our vantage point here in the year 2008, it is instructive to look back forty years to the year 1968, and make some comparisons. Many of today’s public employees in Orange County were not even born as of 1968, but a good many of us were not only born, we were old enough to have lived through, and remember, that time. No matter how you slice it, the year 1968 was an iconic year. For instance, it was the year of the classic Steve McQueen movie Bullitt. Who can forget the car chase in that movie? And now the Ford Motor Company has come up with a 40th-anniversary salute to the film and McQueen’s car. As Ford’s website says: “AN ORIGINAL COMES TO LIFE — THE 2008 MUSTANG BULLITT. SEE IT. HEAR IT. GET INTO THE CHASE.” And indeed you can get into the chase— starting at $31,075. If only! Steward Training! OCEA Steward training is provided during two allday sessions. Here we see attendees at a recent session. Page 8 – March/April 2008 OCEA is your union! Get involved! What memorable events took place in 1968? Every year has many events which distinguish it, but 1968 truly was special. It was in 1968 that: • North Korea seized the US spy ship USS Pueblo • The Tet offensive began (and ended) • Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated • Rioting broke out in the aftermath of the assassination • Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated • Riots surrounded the Democratic National Convention • France became the world’s fifth nuclear power • Richard Nixon was elected President Newsweek magazine has called 1968 “the year that changed everything.” To us, as union members, our main line of thinking has got to be: how have things changed for the worker? Are we better off now than we were in 1968? To put it in a nutshell, the answer is “No!” Progressive commentator Joseph A. Palermo, in discussing the recent History Channel program “1968 with Tom Brokaw,” says: Brokaw acce “conservativ argue that th and scared t disciplined t severely and could. Comp shell of its fo Brokaw laud government nakedly imp Our kids tod it—we had in the form opportunitie Whether yo foregoing, t similarities) with ideolog And these m of life, and ou Okay, then. perhaps disa been some s during the p analysis of T The moral: stay with OCEA! In thi we all need the union! Check out th working on! Catastrophic Leave Bargaining This photograph was taken on March 5, 2008, during bargaining on ca OCEA Assembly Room. epts the premise that America is more ve” today, but one could just as easily he workforce is simply more insecure today; the cold hand of the market has their wayward children far more effectively than their parents ever pared to 1968, the U.S. economy is a ormer self, and the new status quo that ds limits opportunity even while the has grown more authoritarian and perialistic. day have it a lot harder than we had far more support from the government of educational and economic es. ou agree or disagree with the the point is that the differences (and ) between 1968 and 2008 have to do gy, attitudes, and ways of thinking. matters have in turn impacted our ways our incomes. . Is the middle class shrinking—or appearing altogether? There have shocking economic happenings period of 1968 to 2008. A mid-2006 The Brookings Institution, a non- In the hallway at the Public Defender’s Office: OCEA staff members Jerry Martel, Bo Gutierrez, and Aaron Peardon, with OCEA Steward Esther Fonseca. partisan think-tank, shows that, in 1970, 58% of metropolitan neighborhoods were “middleincome.” In 2000, that was down to 41%. And the percentage of families earning middle incomes also dropped. Get this, from the website of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California (a “bipartisan, anticrime organization led by more than 350 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and victims of violence”): The hardest hit are middle-income families, earning between $30,000 and $60,000 per year, who are generally not eligible for publicly-funded preschool. In Orange County, higher-income families are 61 percent more likely to enroll their children in preschool than middle-income families. The report calculated the expenses of a family currently earning $50,000. Housing, utilities, car, groceries, medical bills, clothing and taxes add up to $51,180, leaving nothing to pay for preschool. OCEA Board member Alan Dean Clow at the Public Defender site visit on February 5, 2008. We may be making more money, but we’re getting sucked into a whirlpool of expenses: housing prices, childcare costs, vehicle expenses, and medical costs. is war, you need your union membership, and hese photos to see some of the activities we are OCEA Labor Relations Managers Bo Gutierrez and Aaron Peardon chat with two charming Public Defender staff members. Our OCEA Steward Program: A Key Program for Our Leaders In future months, you are apt to hear more and more about what the labor movement is doing to help rebuild the middle class. If OCEA—our union—is to do its share, we need as much participation by our members as possible! Our OCEA Steward program is a crucial part of the process! atastrophic leave provisions in the OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 9 OCEA Board Close-Up Luisa Camino Social Services Agency/Adult Services In view of the fact that March is Social Worker Month, it is fitting that our Board of Directors profile this issue is of Social Worker Luisa Camino! In the entire history of OCEA, it is unlikely that there has ever been a more enthusiastic and cheerful supporter of OCEA than Luisa Camino. Over the years, Luisa has made countless memorable statements in support of OCEA. One typical comment: “There is no union in the world that can top OCEA!” Another: “For me, OCEA is the best: the alpha and the omega of the County workforce!” Luisa is a 28-year veteran of County employment, and she has been an OCEA member for a quarter of a century! Many people come to Luisa for help, not only on work-related issues, but on personal problems, and she has always been willing to lend a hand. For many years, Luisa has been a member of our OCEA bargaining teams. When she speaks, people listen, because she speaks with personal wisdom and with the experience of a long-time County employee. She knows what is right and what is wrong, and she knows what will work, and what will not work. In addition to being an OCEA Board member (since 1998), Luisa is a longtime OCEA Steward. In 2001, she received the OCEA President’s Award, for her key role in supporting OCEA’s organizational security during raids in the year 2000. The OCEA President’s Award is the highest accolade that OCEA bestows. Luisa is a native of Cuba, and she moved to Orange County in 1976. When time allows, she enjoys reading, travelling, and watching movies. Outspoken and faithful, Luisa supports OCEA with her actions as well as her words. We are proud of her and her contributions to our welfare! Above: Here we see Luisa at our 2005 OCEA Health Fair, with then-Assemblyman Tom Umberg. Left: Luisa Camino during OCEA's 2007 coalition bargaining. March is Social Worker month! We are saluting our Social Worker members by making a contribution to Orangewood Children’s Home. In order to help support Orangewood Children’s Home, and to recognize our Social Worker members and the work they do, our OCEA Board of Directors has authorized a gift from OCEA to Orangewood Children’s Home in the amount of $2,500. OCEA Hot Dog Days Are Right Around the Corner! We are unveiling the legendary OCEA Hot Dog Wagon for the 2008 season! We will once again be serving hot dogs and chips. Come on out for a dog or two, and meet OCEA staff members, OCEA Board members, and OCEA Stewards! Note: Schedule is subject to change! Check www.oceamember.org for the curent list! All events below start at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2008 RDMD / Sheriff (Hutton Towers) Thursday, April 17, 2008 “The Pit,” Civic Center Tuesday, April 22, 2008 SSA Eckoff Thursday, April 24, 2008 District Attorney Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Central Court / Law Library Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Anaheim Thursday, May 01, 2008 CSS / SAO Monday, May 5, 2008 OCERS Wednesday, May 07, 2008 HCA Thursday, May 08, 2008 888 / 1200 N. Main, Santa Ana Tuesday, May 13, 2008 West Court / PHN / Probation (Westminster) Thursday, May 15, 2008 HCA—405 5th Street and Sycamore Locations Tuesday, May 20, 2008 HCA—1241 E. Dyer, Santa Ana Thursday, May 22, 2008 HCA—1725 17th Street, Santa Ana Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Central Jail (Flower Street) Thursday, May 29, 2008 Library Headquarters / CEO, 1501 E. St. Andrews Place Page 10 – March/April 2008 OCEA is your union! Get involved! the in Voter Information Project Gains Momentum ring ! ” OCEA Legislative Corner “ O ur ti ha s Last year, OCEA played a key role in the establishing of the Orange County Voter Information Project. It’s a non-partisan effort designed to increase the “say” that working people have, regardless of their party affiliation. It’s a huge project, sending representatives out to the front lines to encourage them to register. It’s also expensive, but many unions have chipped in, and the program has met with great success. Recently (March 8, 2008), the Orange County Register carried an extensive article on the OC VIP. The article stated: Nick Berardino, general manager of the county’s most politically active union—the 17,000-member Orange County Employees Association—leads the nonpartisan registration project. And without naming names, he acknowledges that the drive is the result of years of frustration with the voting records of many traditionally friendly elected officials. “We appreciate the efforts of the elected officials,” he said. “But we feel that to ensure progress and security for working families, labor cannot depend on them, because their support has often waxed and waned with the political atmosphere.” ... Apparently, the message is already being received. And the voter registration project has lots of invitations once it finishes its work in central Orange County by next month. “Numerous elected officials have demonstrated interest in moving this program into their respective districts,” said Berardino, declining to name which officials want the project in their back yards. “There is such an untapped source of power by reaching out to those who have not participated that elected officials would love to see that power unleashed in their districts.” Do you have coverage to protect you when faced with a mechanical breakdown? Smart buyers choose deluxe protection plans. Factory warranty coverage varies. It’s often overpriced—and most breakdowns occur after the warranty expires. However, deluxe protection plans will continue to provide valuable benefits in every major assembly of your vehicle. You pay only a small deductible per visit, and repairs can be performed anywhere in the US and Canada. You save money now because the dealer’s service contract program just cannot compare to our superior coverage and low price. You save money in the long run, because it is the easiest way to plan ahead for the future and to protect yourself from expensive repairs. Several payment options are available! Call Velece Insurance Corporation today to see if your vehicle qualifies for a deluxe mechanical breakdown policy. We’re open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Don’t wait! Give us a call today for a comparison quote. We offer some of the lowest rates in the industry! 1 (800) 362-4322 • www.velece.com OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 11 OCEA Classifieds In this issue of the OCEA Employee, in association with the Orange County Animal Control Center, we present six exciting animals on the prowl for new owners. Sol—spayed female, 2 years old, sable, German shepherd mix, ID# A0873299. Sol is a nice young girl and she loves being around people. Classified ads are a free service to all members. Only members may submit ads. Deadline is first of the month preceding issue date. Ads may be edited or rejected by OCEA. Notify Sunny Rangel if you wish to cancel your ad, or regarding corrections or other changes. Mail your classified ads to Sunny Rangel at OCEA Headquarters, or fax them to her at (714) 835-7654, or email them to her at [email protected]. REAOC: Join the Retired Employees Association. Participate for only $1.00 a month. P.O. Box 1496, Brea, CA 92822-1496. Call (714) 840-3995; FAX (714) 840-7189. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.reaoc.org. ORANGE COUNTY OFFICE ON AGING: Free information on services for older adults. 1-800-510-2020 Cider—female, 2 years old, red, Labrador retriever mix, ID# A0876650. Cider is a bit shy at first but warms up quickly if you take the time to get to know her. Hurley—male, 8 years old, brown tabby, domestic long hair, ID# A0872502. Hurley is sweet, laid back, and will purr for any attention he receives. Shamus—male, 2 years old, brown tabby, domestic short hair, ID# A0876775. Shamus loves attention and would make a wonderful lap kitty. Violet—female, 2 years old, gray, short hair rabbit, ID# A0873301. Violet is a calm girl with a gentle temperament and lots of love to give. Tyler—male, 1 year old, tan, short hair rabbit, ID# A0874036. Tyler is a playful and spunky boy who loves to hop about and play. These animals are so beautiful that they may not be available when you inquire. Other animals are available! Please call (714) 935-6848 or go to www.ocpetinfo.com for more information! KAYAK FOR SALE: Cobra Expedition, 18 feet long, blue, sit on top, fast and lots of storage room. Email me for photos at [email protected]. Includes seat and thigh straps. Call Herb at (949) 287-4644. $725. Costa Mesa. 03/08 FOR SALE: On English Riviera, UK, one-bed apartment. Walk to ocean and town center. Good for investment, easy to let. Brand-new carpets, paint, kitchen cabinets and bathroom tiles. $170, 000. Monthly ins/maint $120 (equivalent). Call Pam at (714) 704-8207. 03/08 FREE TO GOOD HOME: Two adult male cats (brothers) are in need of a loving home. They are both spayed and current on their shots. Both are litter-box trained and both are very social. They love dogs and people. They are doggie-door trained and come and go as they please. I have a very large, three tier cat tower which they enjoy lounging around on that I will be donating with them. I also have cat food and toys to give. Please email me if you are interested. Elizabeth, flyfishfollow2@yahoo. com. 04/08 ROOMMATE WANTED: Female preferred. $650/mo., utilities included. House located in east Anaheim area near Anaheim Hills. Call Gina at (714) 315-0245. 02/08 FOR SALE: Honda generator. Good condition, $75. Cell phone, International Card, like new: $20. Cell phone: Cellular: $15. Look a like Straterferus violin full size, $500. Laptop computer-Dell-Pen III, $150. 36-inch RCA Color TV, $450. Please call Mr. Martin at (714) 731-2544. 04/08 FOR SALE: 1998 Chevy Tahoe. 2-door, 4-wheel drive, fully loaded. Leather interior, oversized tires, running boards, trailer hitch. 79,390 original miles. Good condition. Needs some electrical work, runs great. Selling with Salvage Title. Asking $6,000 or better offer. Call Ana at (714) 454-9716. 07/08 FOR RENT: Gorgeous 1,350 sq. ft. townhome in Anaheim, 4 bedrooms with 3 full bath and a side patio, direct access 2 car garage home in a gated Anaheim neighborhood for lease (minimum 1 year). Walking/biking distance to elementary school. Close to Disneyland and other shopping centers. Close/easy access to the 5, 57, and 91 fwys. Lease for $2,000/ month+security deposit, available in January/ February 2008. No Smoking and pets allowed. Please call (714) 422-6739. 02/08 FOR SALE: Beautiful custom home situated on 5 acres of Pinyon Pines overlooking south fork of the Kern River in the small mountain community of Kennedy Meadows. Less than 3 hours from L.A., includes pedestrian and equestrian easement to the wilderness, ideal for horses, miles of motorcycle and snowmobile trails, and excellent fishing streams, including the Golden Trout Wilderness. Home is 1,950 square feet, has open pine ceilings, many large windows, features 2 master suites, Trex decking surrounding the home, 3-car garage and separate cozy guest cottage. Asking $650,000. Call Art Long at (559) 850-5664 if interested. 2/08 FOR SALE: Custom mobile home, one bedroom, one bath, kitchen, dining/living room, large patio w/ cover and space for 1 or 2 car parking at door. Centrally located in Fullerton. Lowest rent in area. $5,000 as is. Please call Carolyn at (714) 974-7369 and leave message. 2/08 FOR RENT: Gated townhouse, available now. Pool, spa, club house and tennis court, 1250 sf, 2 bed/1.5 bath, Traveritine flooring downstairs, carpet upstairs, nice size patio (with cover), washer, dryer, & refrigerator included! 1-car garage w/ remote. Please contact Tom or Pei at (714) 334-5194 or [email protected] if interested. 3/08 FOR SALE: One mostly white ceramic figurine of a reclining Asian lady in ancient costume, $25. One solid wood display shelf suitable for a plate collection, $25. One 70-80 year old solid wood chair (needs some re-glueing), $25. Call Tom at (949) 643-9211 or email tngm1@ sbcglobal.net. 3/08 MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE: 2006 black Suzuki GZ250, excellent condition, comes with saddlebags and a bike cover, $2,700 obo. Call Ryan at (714) 744-4838. 07/08 FOR SALE: Carbon Canyon, BREA, 1996 Mobile Home, 1530 square feet! 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, open floor-plan. Drywall, lots of windows and sky lights. New sink, disposal, and faucet. Carpet is less than 2 years old. A great place to raise kids. This lovely family park has a newly remodeled recreation hall and pool area. $70,000. We have an assumable lease that makes the space rent less than $900 per month. Ask me about the national blue ribbon elementary school! Call for pictures. Contact Beverly at (714) 996-0009 or (714) 321-0592. 05/08 FOR RENT: Oceanfront Kona Hawaii condo rental, 2 bedrooms/baths on Big Island of Hawaii, 1-week minimum stay. Full kitchen, washer/dryer, large oceanfront lanai. Sleeps 6. Enjoy sounds of surf, spectacular sunsets. $995 per week. For pictures and info visit www. konahawaiicondo.info, or call Charlie at (714) 747-5196. 06/08 FOR RENT: Sedona Timeshare R.C.I. Gold Crown Resort. Week starting June 15, 2008. Large 2 bedroom/2 bath/2 fireplaces. Full kitchen including washer and dryer. Creekside unit in uptown Sedona. Close to shops and restaurants. 100 miles from Grand Canyon. $1295 per week. Call Mike at (949) 496-4559. 07/08 FOR SALE: Geo Holiday Vacation Ownership. A unique personal vacation ownership! Have access to exciting, unique vacation experiences in some of the World’s finest destinations. This is an ownership with 15,000 points annually to use towards Resorts, Hotels, Cruises, Car rentals, and Flights. For more information, please contact David at (951) 415-9151. 07/08 FOR SALE: 4-poster Cal-King Walnut hard wood bed frame w/side rails. Made by Pulaski. Includes box springs. Can deliver. Like new. $200. Call Pat (951) at 688-7388 or e-mail: pat. [email protected] for photo. 07/08 FOR RENT: One person, One room in Garden Grove. One (of two) dual master bedrooms in 2-story, 2-bedroom, 2½-bathroom gated condo in Garden Grove. Bedroom comes with personal bathroom, access to internet; one space in 2-car garage; Washer and Dryer in garage. Condo complex: Gated with Pool and Jacuzzi. Sorry, no pets. Please email Angeline at: santiago_ange@ hotmail.com. $725 and ½ utilities (gas, water, electricity, internet). 07/08 Study of a Site Visit at Orangewood Children’s Home OCEA Labor Relations Representative Llesena Ontiveras chats with several supervisors. An OCEA member in food services at Orangewood shares some ideas. OCEA at Orangewood Children’s Home Orangewood Children’s Home was the location of a February 28, 2008, site visit by OCEA staff. These photos give some idea of what it was like. When an OCEA Site Visit comes your way, be sure to stop by! Above and Below: OCEA staff Benefits Administrator Tracie Mills shares information with employees at the site visit. The table with OCEA giveaways: newspapers, pocket calendars, and more! Page 12 – March/April 2008 OCEA is your union! Get involved! OCEA New Members Anthony Acevedo................. Resources & Development Natalia Adams...................................John Wayne Airport Angela Adams Paz.......................Child Support Services Kimberly Albano.................................Auditor-Controller Monica Allison..............................Child Support Services Elizabeth Alvarez..........................Probation Department Vanessa Alvarez............................ Social Services Agency Luisa Amaya................................. Social Services Agency Gena Ambroise...........................................Superior Court Christopher Anchors........................Health Care Agency Elizabeth Anderson......................Child Support Services Teresa Anderson......................................District Attorney Christy Andrade........................... Social Services Agency Eileen Anguiano................................Health Care Agency Dana Ardeleanu........................... Social Services Agency Cesar Arechiga............................................Superior Court Teejay Areopagita.................. Resources & Development Patricia Arevalo............................ Social Services Agency Jennifer Arnold..............................Probation Department Sandra Asche.....................................Health Care Agency Amy Ashland.....................................Health Care Agency Jose Ayala...................................... Social Services Agency Karin Bae............................................Health Care Agency Zaira Banuelos............................................Superior Court Laura Barajas.................................Probation Department Christina Barragan.......................Child Support Services Christopher Barragan..................... Sheriff’s Department Marcus Bass................................. Assessor’s Department Jennifer Behen Givens................. Social Services Agency Karyn Bernard...................................... Clerk of the Board Sonja Berry.........................................Health Care Agency Dann Bess...........................................Health Care Agency Brook Bingham...................... Resources & Development Kathryn Blair.....................................Health Care Agency Arlene Bledsoe Davis................... Social Services Agency Somchet Bonsynat.............................Health Care Agency Randall Bradford.......................... Social Services Agency Melissa Brady....................................Health Care Agency Donna Breitfeller................... Resources & Development Aaron Brink........................................Health Care Agency Latanya Buckner......................................District Attorney Sherry Buenavista.........................Probation Department Laura Burduaj...........................................Public Defender Patricia Burton..............................Child Support Services Darlene Buynicki Roach......................... Public Guardian Todd Calderon................................. Sheriff’s Department Tom Calhoon......................................Health Care Agency Karla Campos....................................Health Care Agency Axenia Canda............................... Social Services Agency Christina Cardino..................... District Attorney’s Office Shawntee Cardwell...................... Social Services Agency Frances Carrillo............................ Social Services Agency Jay Casas........................................... Sheriff’s Department Christopher Casillas............. Resources & Development Rene Castellanos...........................Probation Department Walter Castillo Montoya..............Probation Department Francisco Castrejon...................... Social Services Agency Judith Chamberlin............................Health Care Agency Sofia Chavez................................. Social Services Agency Dennis Chen.......................................Health Care Agency James Cheung.................................. Sheriff’s Department Carolyn Chin................ Housing & Community Services David Clark...................................... Sheriff’s Department Sussel Collazo............................... Social Services Agency Christine Combs.............................. Sheriff’s Department Linda Crowell....................................Health Care Agency Denver Cua........................................Health Care Agency JB Cui................................................ Sheriff’s Department Michelle Curtis..................................Health Care Agency Irene Dacayanan.........................................Superior Court Austin Davis..................................Probation Department Graciela Delgadillo...................... Social Services Agency Mark Delgado....................................Health Care Agency Jesus Diaz...........................................Sheriffs Department Leticia Diaz...................................... Sheriff’s Department Maria Diaz........................................ Sheriff’s Department Marta Diaz......................................Probation Department Ryan Dimit....................................... Sheriff’s Department Kieu Duong........................................Health Care Agency Mark Dy Ragos..................................Health Care Agency Amy Eatherton............................. Social Services Agency Moctezuma Enriquez....................Probation Department Regina Esparza..............................Probation Department Rochell Estes................................. Social Services Agency Mark Estoque......................... Resources & Development Joanne Fierro......................................Health Care Agency Jennifer Foran.............................................Superior Court Beth Franz......................................Probation Department Nicholas Freeland.........................Probation Department Lori French....................................... Sheriff’s Department Tim Fritch......................................... Sheriff’s Department Richardo Galindo......................... Social Services Agency Sara Gallardo................................... Sheriff’s Department Margaret Gallegos....................................Public Defender Angelica Galvan................................Health Care Agency Joanne Garrisi..........................................District Attorney Joanna Gaytan ...........................................Superior Court Vipin Goel.................................... Assessor’s Department Adriana Gonzales..............................Health Care Agency Randy Gonzales.............................. Sheriff’s Department Elizabeth Gonzalez.............................Auditor-Controller Eva Gonzalez.................................Probation Department Laura Gonzalez........................ District Attorney’s Office Nereida Gonzalez......................... Social Services Agency Soumelia Gountoumas.....................Health Care Agency Joaquin Granado...............................Health Care Agency Jacqueline Granados.................... Social Services Agency Julisa Griego..................................... Sheriff’s Department Heather Grose....................................Health Care Agency Aron Grumbles................................ Sheriff’s Department Marco Guillen....................................Health Care Agency Laura Gutierrez............................Child Support Services Leanne Gutierrez............................. Sheriff’s Department Anne Gwynn................................. Social Services Agency Hado Harkins..........................................District Attorney Andrea Harris.................................. Sheriff’s Department Megan Harris..............................................Superior Court Maria Hassaram......................................District Attorney Cathy He...............................................Auditor-Controller Robert Hernandez........................... Sheriff’s Department Juliet Herrera.....................................Health Care Agency Richard Herrera......................... County Executive Office Delany Heyne................................Probation Department Kristen Higbee...................................Health Care Agency Diana Ho.....................................................Superior Court Jacqueline Hoffman.................. County Executive Office Lynnsay Holer...................................Health Care Agency James Huie.....................................Probation Department Rachel Humphreys...........................Health Care Agency Jon Iler.................................................Health Care Agency Ihda Ibasco.........................................Health Care Agency Nadejda Iotova............................................ Public Library Nima Javadi.......................................John Wayne Airport Geraldine Jimenez......................................Superior Court Gail Johnson..................................Child Support Services Larry Johnson................................Probation Department Rebeca Juarez.....................................Health Care Agency Arash Khorashadi......................................Superior Court Arif Khwaja........................................Health Care Agency Michael Kim..................................... Sheriff’s Department Woo Kim........................................ Social Services Agency Sonica Kohli........................... Resources & Development Ryan Kolakowski.................. Resources & Development Gerrit Kovach....................................Health Care Agency Ronald Kozma....................... Resources & Development Carla Krstich................................. Social Services Agency Bhartti Kumar............................... Social Services Agency Jon Kurtz............................................Health Care Agency Ha La.............................................. Social Services Agency Carol Lacruz Yudice..................... Social Services Agency Cynthia Lam-Chan....................... Social Services Agency Shawnna Lander...........................Probation Department Monica Lares................................. Social Services Agency Santos Lares................................................Superior Court Violet Larsen......................................Health Care Agency Richard Le..................................... Social Services Agency Leonardo Lebron...............................John Wayne Airport Christopher Lechmann......... Resources & Development Joesephen Lee.............................................Superior Court Laura Legrand................................. Sheriff’s Department Sera Levy.................................... County Executive Office Damariz Leyva Aguilar............... Social Services Agency Steve Lim.......................................... Sheriff’s Department Susanna Lim................................. Social Services Agency Maria Linares.....................................Health Care Agency Jiun-Jie Liou........................... Resources & Development Sandy Liu............................... Resources & Development Sandra Lizarraga.......................... Social Services Agency Ronald Llanos........................ Resources & Development Hadela Lopez.................................Probation Department Justin Loughman...............................Health Care Agency Jason Luong..................................... Sheriff’s Department James Macklin....................................Health Care Agency Nicole Madonia.................................Health Care Agency Thu Hien Mai.....................................Health Care Agency Mauricio Mairena..............................Health Care Agency Latoya Manuel.............................. Social Services Agency Matthew Marcz..........................................Superior Court Carolyn Marr.....................................Health Care Agency Amanda Martindale....................... Sheriff’s Department Cherissa Martinez........................ Social Services Agency Esperanza Martinez.....................Child Support Services Jessica Martinez.......................... Housing & Community Development Meleah Martinez.......................... Social Services Agency Felipe Martins.................................. Sheriff’s Department Meredith May....................................Health Care Agency Guillermina Mayfield.................. Social Services Agency Deborah Mcglone..............................Health Care Agency Maria Medina....................................Health Care Agency Linda Miller................................. Assessor’s Department Lolly Miller.........................................Health Care Agency Lisa Melton.........................................Health Care Agency Sarah Miltimore.............................Probation Department Michael Miniaci..................... Resources & Development Daylee Montano........................... Social Services Agency Susana Montes.............................. Social Services Agency Rufino Mora.......................................Health Care Agency Kathleen Mrotzek.........................Child Support Services Cynthia Mullenix.........................Child Support Services Anna Munoz Lopez...................................Superior Court Krishnamenon Nadaraja...... Resources & Development Imelda Narez................................ Social Services Agency Cady Nguyen........................................Registrar of Voters Chinh Nguyen.....................................Auditor-Controller David Nguyen....................... Resources & Development Hoa Nguyen..................................... Sheriff’s Department Jennifer Nguyen........................... Social Services Agency John Nguyen.......................... Resources & Development Kenneth Nguyen......................... Assessor’s Department Mai Nguyen.................................. Social Services Agency Ngoc Nguyen................................... Sheriff’s Department Thao Nguyen................................ Social Services Agency Angelina Nguyen Do.................................Superior Court Rebecca-Ann Nielsen....................Probation Department Lorena Nieves....................................Health Care Agency Selamawit Nigatu.......................................Superior Court Amanda Nyssen............................Probation Department William O’Brien............................ Social Services Agency Christine O’Hare Pomponi........................ Public Library Sergio Ortiz........................................Health Care Agency Jill Osuna.......................................... Sheriff’s Department Daniel Packman............................... Sheriff’s Department Rosa Palacios................................. Social Services Agency Steve Paredes.....................................Health Care Agency Dean Parsons................................ Social Services Agency Maria Pary..........................................Health Care Agency Veronica Pasillas............................Probation Department Miguel Pation Perez......................Probation Department John Pavlik............................. Resources & Development Anthony Perea............................................Superior Court Kay Pereira.................................... Social Services Agency Karino Perez...................................Probation Department Jalene Pham................................. Housing & Community Marysol Placencio........................Child Support Services Manuel Ponce.................................. Sheriff’s Department Sonia Ponce....................................Probation Department Andrew Prack....................................John Wayne Airport Monica Prado................................ Social Services Agency Daniel Pratt............................... District Attorney’s Office Dean Price.............................. Resources & Development Gabriele Prinzing............................ Sheriff’s Department Angelica Ramirez.....................................Public Defender Naria Ramirez.............................................Superior Court Richard Ramirez.......................... Assessor’s Department Richard Rauscher..........................Probation Department Emrids Rayos Del Sol.......................Health Care Agency Jeremy Recker....................................Health Care Agency Carl Reed................................ Resources & Development Pamela Reeves...................................Health Care Agency Matthew Reighter.............................Health Care Agency Donald Reser.......................... Resources & Development April Rhodes......................................Health Care Agency Cynthia Rivera.............................. Social Services Agency Gloria Robinson..................... Resources & Development Ronald Robles............................... Social Services Agency Linda Rodriguez................................Health Care Agency Lorena Rodriguez.......................................Superior Court Monica Rodriguez........................ Social Services Agency Priscilla Rodriguez...................................... Public Library Idamae Rolle......................................Health Care Agency Rudy Roman......................................Health Care Agency Carla Romero.....................................Health Care Agency Suhaila Saad................................. Assessor’s Department Nydia Saenz.........................................Auditor-Controller Christina Salas............................................Superior Court Malisa San..................................... Social Services Agency Bryna Sanchez............................................Superior Court Irene Sanchez................................ Social Services Agency Ramon Sanchez.................................... Human Resources Juris Sarigumba.............................Probation Department Francisco Saucedo.........................Probation Department Fabiola Schechtman..........................Health Care Agency Ceaser Segura........................ Resources & Development Sophia Serrano...................................Health Care Agency Baratha Siregar..................................Health Care Agency Monica Spohn...............................Child Support Services Rose Ann Stock..................................Health Care Agency Abida Sultana................................Probation Department Ling Sun....................................... Assessor’s Department Andrew Sveen....................... Resources & Development Liezel Sy Diep............................... Social Services Agency Saraswathi Tangella ................................... Public Library Lucilia Tarabay..................................Health Care Agency Erin Teasdale..................................Probation Department Michael Thomas.............................. Sheriff’s Department Edwin Tigno.......................................Health Care Agency Daniel Topete................................ Social Services Agency Andrea Toscano de Souza.... Resources & Development Camille Townsend.....................................Superior Court Han Tran........................................... Sheriff’s Department Janine Tran......... Housing & Community Development Quan Tran....................................................Superior Court Tuong Tran.................................... Social Services Agency Hanh Truong...... Housing & Community Development Michele Tsachpinis.......................Child Support Services Nancy Tschiderer........................................ Public Library Nhi Tu.................................................Health Care Agency Jonathan Van Brunt......................... Sheriff’s Department Olga Vega...................................... Social Services Agency Cheyenne Verduzco.................... Assessor’s Department Monica Verma....................................Health Care Agency Gladys Villalobos......................... Social Services Agency Celina Villalpando....................... Social Services Agency Alma Virgen.............................. District Attorney’s Office Alan Vo.......................................... Social Services Agency Ashley Wallen.................................. Sheriff’s Department Patrick Walters................................. Sheriff’s Department Alana White..................................Child Support Services David Windsor............................. Social Services Agency Alexander Wong.............................. Sheriff’s Department Carol Wood................................... Social Services Agency Charles Wright.............................. Social Services Agency Aaron Yturralde.............................. Sheriff’s Department Noemi Zajzon........................ Resources & Development NEW OCEA MEMBERS FROM OCEA AFFILIATES! COSTA MESA CITY EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION Eduardo Avila Angela Cleveland Regina Diaz Larry Dreiman Francisco Molina Dean Rodia Lora Ross Rueben Salas Lewis Siegler Timothy Sweet Jordan Villwock GARDEN GROVE CITY EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION Laraine Morris IRVINE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION Kelly Koldus MESA CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT Lina Gunawan ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY Brodie Lefebure Lynda Martinez ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT James Davidson ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Linda Koki Phuong Lam Derek Nguyen TUSTIN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION Lina Anicich Chuck Childress Kim David Chris Duarte Cee Cee Garcia Danny Jackson YORBA LINDA CITY EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATRION Darlene O’Toole Look Who’s Recruiting for OCEA! RECRUITING OCEA REPRESENTATIVES Delores Alvarado Carolyn Crick Beatriz De La TorreRobin Dougherty Esther Fonseca Debra Fyvie Suzanna Galvan Margot Knife Chief Paul Lovette John Tran RECRUITING OCEA MEMBERS Vanessa Bernal San Juanita Carrillo Rita Castillo Julie Chambers Anthony Dulay Carole Earney Ezequiel Gutierrez John Harkins Juana Hernandez Hualin Hsu-Wingard Debra Lechmann Rita Maellaro Bob Mao Jane New Dung Nguyen Loni Nguyen Bui Emma Noor Avelardo Pasillas Rory Paster Alan Roberts Pedro Sanchez Mercedes Urias Leticia Verduzco Patricia Wieczorek March Is Social Worker Month! To help celebrate, OCEA gave out tons of mousepads like the one at the left, to our Social Worker members and others whose jobs involve social work (like those of Group Counselors). OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 13 OCEA Discounts Show your OCEA member card and start saving! Special Savings for OCEA Members! Check OCEA’s website, www.oceamember.org, for full details! Pageant of the Masters The Pageant of the Masters is an annual festival held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The event is known for the "living pictures" wherein classical and contemporary works of art are recreated by real people posing in almost exact detail to the work of art they are portraying. The first festival started in 1932 and has since been held each summer. It hosts more than a quarter million people each year. Pageants of the Masters tickets are a very high demand ticket. The Pageant of the Masters box office is usually sold out and most decent seating 9-12 months before the event starts. OCEA Price: $40/person; Two dates to choose from: Sun. August 17 or Sun. Aug. 21; Both shows at 7pm; Seats on left Main Tier side; Tickets will be available in late April. Car Rentals Special Occasions Hertz: 1 (800) 654-8216. OCEA’s CDP number: 1335448. Fee Waiver Application for the Hertz#1 Club Gold Membership available at OCEA Special Events Office. OCEA Member Discount: 5% off regular price on daily & weekly rentals. Scrapbooking: Creating beautiful, inspiring scrapbook pages and handmade cards is faster, simpler, and easier with Close To My Heart. 10% off on all products! For more information please call Andrea Lewis at (714) 7771170 or visit the website www.alewis.myctmh.com. Budget: 1 (800) 455-2848. OCEA’s DCD number: X627900. For Budget Truck Rentals call 1-888-NEED TRK. OCEA’s number: 56000052043. OCEA Member Discount: 15% off. ProFlowers.com: 20% off on flowers, candy, fruit & more! To receive a free catalog or place your order, call 1 (800) 210-2279, or visit www.proflowers.com/vip and enter the case-sensitive code: OCEA. Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 1 (800) 736-8222. OCEA’s number: 32E8228. Or visit www.enterprise.com and use the same code (with “OCEA” for company name). OCEA Member Discount: 10% off. Wagstaff Music: 25% off on DJ services, karaoke, or live bands! To book your next event contact Bryan Wagstaff at (714) 437-7712. Avis: 1 (800) 331-1212. OCEA’s AWD number: T815000. OCEA Member Discount: 5% off & up, depending on program. Hotels Days Inn Hotel Circle by SeaWorld: 15% to 25% off room rates, depending on time of the year and availability. Call 1 (800) 227-4743 for reservations. Automotive The Red Book: Purchase new cars at fleet prices! The original fleet discount purchase plan in California offers a statewide network of participating dealerships whose professionalism and integrity can be relied on. Call 1 (800) 422-4561 for more details, or log on to www. redbook4autos. Photography Affordable Quality Photography: 10% off on all photographic services for all your Kodak-moment events. Specializes in outdoor portraiture & candid photography. Contact Mike Nemeth at (949) 496-4559 for more details Vacation Y ou might E nter our fun contest ! win 4 tickets to S ea L ife at L egoland C arlsbad , CA! in Opening Summer 2008 at LEGOLAND® California! The world’s largest aquarium brand is coming for the first time to North America. SEA LIFE LEGOLAND® California Resort is opening its doors in Carlsbad in July! SEA LIFE Aquarium is an educational and interactive dynamic experience on child’s voyage to the depths of the oceans, presenting the wonders of the underwater world to them in a way specially designed for their understanding. Take this simple OCEA quiz! You might win 4 tickets to Medieval Times! 1. Elsewhere in this issue is a photo of Shorpy Higginbotham, a boy employed in (a) Alabama in 1910, or (b) Orange County in 2008. 2. Worker safety is (a) a problem that has been completely solved, or (b) a problem which continues today. Mail your entry (your answers, with your name, department, and phone number) to OCEA (Attention Joanna), 830 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701, or email your entry to [email protected]. Last date for entries: February 29, 2008. After the last date, a drawing will be held from among all entries, and the lucky winner will receive FOUR TICKETS TO MEDIEVAL TIMES! Members only. One entry per person limit (in each drawing). Winner must arrange to pick up the tickets at OCEA. Past winners are ineligible to enter the following six drawings. Soccer Fitness for Women Have fun , get fit, and learn or improve at the game of soccer. It's so fun you won't even know you are working out!!! OCEA members who are interested in beginning this exercise program receive 15% off on initial season signups. The registration for the season depends on how many days a week a candidate wishes to work out and varies from S125 to $305 per eight week session (as low as $12 per session). Log on www.justforkicksfitness.com for more info Or call (714) 996-0394 Enter Code OCEA for discount at online checkout Sessions in Aliso Viejo, Fullerton and Orange Beginners Welcome! Not Ready To Join? Prospective participants receive a one-hour session for free* *limit one try-out session per participant *space is limited, not all sessions may be available for the trial. Email [email protected] to reserve your try-out session. Page 14 – March/April 2008 Wire Wrapped Silverware: Unique! Beautiful! Inexpensive! Brilliant gift idea! For more information on all products and available discount please call Barbara Newber at (714) 393-9518. Custom Made Gift Baskets: Make your loved ones’ special occasions have a very personal touch! For samples of gift baskets for all your corporate and personal occasions and available discount on them please call Lisa Sipprell at (949) 235-1144. Restaurants Pasta Bravo (at The Block only): 20% off, on catering for all your personal and corporate occasions. For more details about the discount or to place your order call Hector Diaz at (714) 769-4031. OCEA membership card required at the time of delivery. The Rib Trader: Birthday celebration? Wedding? Anniversary? Rehearsal Dinner Party? Receive 15% off on catering for any of your occasions! For menu and details on ordering process, please call Medhi Karr at (714) 744-9288, or fax your request at (714) 633-8760. OCEA membership card required at the time of delivery. Wellness SCAT Travel: Offers substantial discounts on a variety of cruises exclusively for OCEA members. Call Sandy Cuny at (714) 669-9019 for details or visit OCEA website for the most recent listing. LifeTurn: Weight Loss Program! No products; No pills; No shots; 40%off first 3-month circle; 75%off the second; For more information please call Ambra Farahani at (714) 423-5858. Club Med Vacation: Book a seven-night escape and save 50% on the second person! Call Lavonne Campbell at (714) 991-7222, or visit OCEA website for the most recent listing. XanGo: 10% off on all your antioxidant mangosteen juice purchases. For more details on product and ordering procedures call Joy Andrews at (714) 441-7050 or visit the website Jocelyn.discovermangosteen.com. Amtrak: 10% off best available rail fare; up to 2 children ages 2-15 travel at the half-price per adult fare. For most current information on restrictions and to obtain OCEA new discount code please log on to our website www.oceamember.org, or call Special Events office at 714-835-3355. Just for Kicks: A new soccer fitness program just for women. It's so fun you won't even know you are working out!!! OCEA members receive 15% off on initial season sign-ups. For more information on the program please log on the website www. justforkicksfitness.com OR call Cindy at (714) 996-0394. Amtrak’s Free Companion Fare Coupons are available now at Special Events office. Valid Jan. 3 through Jun. 15, 2008. Up to 2 children may accompany each adult at half the regular (full) price. Valid for travel in coach seating on the Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquins and Capitol Corridor trains and associated thruways, with the exception of 7000-8999 series. Black-out dates: Jan. 18-21; Feb. 15-18; Mar. 20-24; May 26-28, 2008. Offer not combinable with any other offer. Not Ready to Join? Try a One Hour Session for Free* Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: 15% off on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and 10% off at the gift shops with the Alpine Club Card available (free of charge) at the OCEA Special Events Office. Card valid thru December 2008 Grand Canyon Railway: 20% off train travel & stays at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, or 10% off already discounted packages! For more information, please call 1-866-422-9724 (mention OCEA Corporate Discount program), or visit www.thetrain/corporate to book your journey. You’re Beautiful Mary Kay: 10% off on all your skin care & cosmetics for men, women, and children. For your free consultation or brochure, or to place your order, call Jo Padore at (949) 559-8022, or visit website www.marykay. com/jpadore. OCEA’s newest addition to our Preferred Vendor Program. See’s Candies Certificates (1lb): As always, available at OCEA Special Events Office for $11 each (reg. $15). Cookie Lee: 10% off & free shipping on all Cookie Lee Fine Fashion Jewelry. For your free consultation, or catalog, or to place your order please call Eva McNamee at (562) 879-4911 or log on into her website www. cookielee.biz/evamcnamee. * available during the session beginning June 18 * Limit one try-out session per participant * space is limited, not all sessions may be available for the trial. * Full registrations will have priority over trials. Email [email protected] to reserve you try-out session. LA Fitness: Membership vouchers available at Special Events office! OCEA members $59.99 sign-up fee and $29.99/mo; Family add-ons $0 sign-up fee and $29.99/ mo; Up to 4 family members may be added to your account. Electronics Verizon Wireless: You may qualify for a discount on your calling plan monthly access fees and accessories. Please call your Government Employee Sales Representative Bonnie Liu Barron at (714) 743-1076 for more information, or contact her by email at Bonnie. [email protected]. Offer valid for California State & Local Government Employees with proof of current employment. Limited-time offer. Apple Computers: OCEA members are offered discounts on Apple products through the Apple Government Employee Purchase Program. Visit their online store at www.apple.com/eppstore/slg and save up to 17% on selected Apple products, including iPods, and much more! Arbonne: PURE * SAFE * BENEFICIAL Health and Beauty Products for Men, Women, Teens and Children. OCEA members receive a 10% discount on all purchases through Christa Luther. To place your order please contact Christa at (714) 923-4602 or email her at [email protected]; View products at www. christaluther.myarbonne.com. Special Savings for OCEA Members! Check OCEA’s website, www.oceamember.org, for full details! OCEA is your union! Get involved! Special Events OCEA Special Events accepts only ATM debit cards and cash, in payment for tickets. Check www.oceamember.org for the most current information. Movie Theaters AMC Theatres (Loews & Cineplex): OCEA price: $6/person. (Regular: $10.50/person.) Special engagements excluded during the first two weeks on new releases. Valid 7 days a week. NO EXPIRATION DATE. Century Cinema: OCEA price: $6/person. (Regular: $10.50/person.) Special engagements excluded during the first two weeks on new releases. Valid 7 days a week. NO EXPIRATION DATE. Krikorian Premier Theaters: OCEA price: $7/person. (Regular: $10.50/ person.) No restrictions. Valid 7 days a week. NO EXPIRATION DATE. Regal Entertainment Group: OCEA price: $6/person. (Regular: $10.50/person.) Special engagements excluded during the first two weeks on new releases. Valid 7 days a week. NO EXPIRATION DATE. Amusement Parks Disneyland & Disney’s California Adventure STANDARD 1-DAY 1-PARK ADMISSION: OCEA price: $61/adult; $53/child ages 3-9. (Regular: $66 & $56.) No blackout dates. Tickets valid JANUARY 3 — DECEMBER 11, 2008. SoCal 2FER Ticket: (1-day admission to Disneyland and 1-day admission to Disney’s California Adventure Park.) OCEA Price: $64/adult; $54/child ages 3-9. (Regular: $66/adult & $56). No blackout dates. Second visit must be used within 30 days following the first day of usage, but no later than the expiration date. Tickets valid JANUARY 7 — MAY 22, 2008. DISNEY ANNUAL PASSES: Premium: $359. (Regular: $379.) Valid 365 days. Parking included. Passes expire JANUARY 2, 2008. Deluxe: $239. (Regular: $259.) Valid 315 days. Parking excluded. All passes must be activated by JANUARY 3, 2009. Knott’s Berry Farm OCEA price: $25/adult; $19/child ages 3-9. (Regular: $35.99 & $19.99.) Not valid for Special Events Packages; Tickets expire MARCH 31, 2009. SeaWorld San Diego OCEA price: $46/adult; $40/child ages 3-9. (Regular: $59 & $49.) Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. 2 DAYS OF FUN ADMISSION LEGOLAND California OCEA price: $41/person ages 3 & up. (Regular: $59/adult & $47/child.) Upgrade to a 2nd day for $1 at Legoland Guest Services. Second visit must occur within 9 days from the first visit. Tickets expire JANUARY 31, 2009. San Diego Wild Animal Park: OCEA price: $27/adult; $19/child ages 3-11. (Regular: $34 & $24.) Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. San Diego Zoo OCEA price: $27/adult; $19/child ages 3-11. (Regular: $34 & $24.) Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. Six Flags Magic Mountain: OCEA Price: $25/adult; $15/child under 48 inches. (Regular: $59.99 & $29.99.) Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. Universal Studios Hollywood OCEA price: $49/person ages 2 & up. (Regular: $64.) Tickets expire JUNE 30, 2008. So Cal Attractions Aquarium of the Pacific OCEA price: $14/adult; $10/child ages 3-11. (Regular: $20.95 & $11.95.) No blackout dates. Tickets expire NOVEMBER 30, 2008. Boomers Family Fun Centers OCEA price: $14/person. (Regular: $27.95.) No blackout dates. Arcade games and batting cages excluded. NO EXPIRATION DATE. (beginning June 1 price will be $15.00/person) K-1 Speed – OCEA price: $15/person at least 4' 11" tall (regular: $29.95) for standard race. Good anytime at any K-1 location; 1 year K-1 Speed license is included for new drivers. NO EXPIRATION DATE Catalina Flyer—Newport Beach (at the Balboa Pavilion): OCEA price: $47/adult; $38/child ages 3-12. (Regular: $61 & $44.) Reservation required. No blackout dates. NO EXPIRATION DATE. For reservations please call 1-800-830-7744. Catalina Express – Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point* OCEA price: $54/adult; $44/child ages 3-12 (Regular: $59 & $53). *Dana Point departures will be an additional $2/person payable at time of check-in; For reservations please call 1-800-464-4228 or log into www. CatalinaExpress.com. Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. Discovery Science Center OCEA price: $10/adult; $7/child ages 3-17. (Regular: $13 & $10.) Parking fee: $3/vehicle paid separately. Some restrictions apply; Log into our website www.oceamember.org for more details; Parking fee: $3/vehicle paid separately; NO EXPIRATION DATE. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament OCEA price: $41/adult; $31/child ages 12 & under. (Regular: $52.65 & $35.40.) Not valid for Saturday 6:00 p.m. shows. Reservation required. Tickets expire DECEMBER 31, 2008. Pirate’s Dinner Adventure OCEA price: $47/adult; $32/child ages 3-11. (Regular: $54.73 & $36.57.) Reservation required. Tickets expire NOVEMBER 30, 2008. Purchase tickets: To order by mail, Queen Mary (Self-Guided Tour and Ghosts & Legends Show): OCEA price: $12/person. (Regular: $22.95 & $11.95.) No blackout dates. Parking fee: $10/vehicle paid separately. NO EXPIRATION DATE. One-Time Events The Renaissance Faire OCEA price: $15/person (Regular: $25/adult & $15/ child age 6-12); Free admission for children under 5! Parking fee $8/vehicle paid at the entrance. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW! Corteo: Cirque du Soliel Up to 25% off on selected show dates & categories throughout OC, LA, and San Diego Counties. For more information and/or to order tickets, please call 1 (800) 331-6483. Company Code: OCEA Grand Canyon Railway OCEA price: $359/adult (regular: $399). Price is per person based on adult double occupancy and does not include tax or park entry fee. Must be booked 11 days in advance of travel. Coming Soon The Pageant of the Masters - Sunday, Aug. 17 or Sunday, Aug. 24! OCEA price: $40/person; Shows start at 7 p.m.; Seats on left Main Tier side; TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN LATE APRIL 2008. Knott's Soak City Water Park OCEA price: $19/adult; $18/child; Tickets valid in all So Cal locations! TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY 2008. Wild Rivers Water Park - OCEA price: $19/adult; $14/child ages 3-9 (Regular: $31.98 & $19.98); Tickets will be available in the beginning of May 2008. please include: 1) name and phone number, 2) letter stating your ticket order, and 3) check payable to OCEA for the full amount of the ticket order plus $6.40 for shipping and handling. Send orders to: Special Events, OCEA, 830 North Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Checks for over $500 not accepted. Ticket sales are final. Sorry, no refunds or exchanges. Please allow sufficient time! Mailed ticket orders are generally processed within five business days of receiving the order. Sorry, OCEA makes no guarantees on mailed orders. Shipping and handling charges cover costs of certifying and insuring mailed Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus – OCEA price: $22/person (Regular: $25); Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. Honda Center, Anaheim! Tickets will be available early summer 2008. All prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final. tickets. For further information, contact Joanna Nachurski at (714) 835-3355 or via email at [email protected]. Ticket hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. OCEA is your union! Get involved! March/April 2008 – 15 Don’t forget our OCEA Steward Training! It’s for Stewards, New and Experienced! This exciting program is comprised of two training sessions, with each session being held in alternate months. This flexible schedule will provide current and new OCEA Stewards with the opportunity to attend both sessions. All new OCEA Stewards are required to attend both sessions, and it is highly recommended that current Stewards attend the training as well (if you have not attended training within the last two years or so). Session 1 of the training covers such topics as History of Organized Labor, Governing Laws, and the Memorandum of Understanding. Session 2 covers Roles and Responsibilities of a Steward, Handling Workplace Issues, and Grievance Handling. The subject matter is intended to provide OCEA Stewards with the tools and knowledge they require to be effective workplace leaders. Each session of the OCEA Steward Training Program will be an all-day training and will be held at OCEA Headquarters. Upcoming training dates are as follows: April 17, 2008 - Session 2 - Please register by April 7. May 15, 2008 - Session 1 - Please register by May 5. June 19, 2008 - Session 2 - Please register by June 9. July 17, 2008 - Session 1 - Please register by July 7. August 21, 2008 - Session 2 - Please register by August 11. Want more information about how to become an OCEA Steward? Wonder what OCEA Stewards do, and what kind of commitment is expected? Want an application to become an OCEA Steward? Call or email Llesena Ontiveras, OCEA Labor Relations Representative: (714) 835-3355 • [email protected] OCEA requires that participants pre-register for the training. To pre-register, please contact Llesena Ontiveras at [email protected]. Page 16 – March/April 2008 OCEA is your union! Get involved!