KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE ON CIVIC CENTER PROGRESS OCEA ACTIVISM BRINGS IMPROVED CONDITIONS FOR CITY, COUNTY AND COURT WORKERS OCEA members have been advocating aggressively to improve the conditions too many of us face each day when coming to work at the Civic Center. Standing together, we have raised concerns with the County, Courts and City of Santa Ana, filing official action under our MOU and also speaking out in the media. That work is paying off. The City of Santa Ana has declared a public health and safety crisis and voted to divert significant resources to cleaning up the area. The County of Orange decided to designate the vacant Civic Center bus terminal as temporary transitional housing for the homeless while additional work to find long term solutions continues. “There comes a point in time when we have to take action. There’s a public health crisis affecting the homeless and the
workers,” Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez told Voice of OC. “We do also have a responsibility to protect the employees here in the Civic Center.” An estimated 500 homeless people now live at the Civic Center. Driven by a number of factors, including skyrocketing rents, a mental health care crisis, and a California law that reduces or curtails jail time for non-violent crimes, the population has been steadily growing over the years. So why are the City and County taking action now? The answer is you. OCEA members stood together and stepped up to share their stories about how dangerous working in the Civic Center had become: Harassment by some of the homeless residents, exposure to human waste, used hypodermic needles and open-air drug dealing. We shared those examples with County, Court and City leadership and called for change. The media responded with print, radio and television coverage of the crisis. A recent story in the Orange County Register featured interviews with OCEA members and staff demanding that something be done both for workers and the public doing business in the Civic Center and for the homeless as well. The result? The City of Santa Ana and the County combined will spend an estimated $1.3 million for additional lighting, increased police and code enforcement presence and the relocation of a hypodermic needle exchange program. The County has stepped up security, cleaning, brought bathrooms to the Civic Center and more. These measures are still just a beginning in making the Civic Center a safe place for workers and the public. And they’re just a first step in finding long term solutions to help people in need get off the streets. We will continue advocating for a safe workplace, as well as the implementation of County-run programs that help our growing homeless population get the help they need and a warm place to sleep. In just a few short months, more progress has been made in the Civic Center than in the last 20-years. Standing together, we have made a difference.
Maintenance workers are increasing their pressure washing schedule to lower the risk of a Civic Center public health crisis
OCEA EMPLOYEE
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