Cafeteria workers, maintenance, and bus drivers are all Local 2229  Bonnie Tyler sang an ‘80s anthem entitled “I Need a Hero.”  But the heroes of ABC Unified School District are not needed, at least that is the impression they’re getting from the the School Board.   The District’s representative told AFSCME Local 2229 that the Board gave a raise to the employees they most needed, the teacher s  who returned to schools to teach.  However, schools would not even be opened, much less remain open, without the work of essential workers like cafeteria and maintenance employees.  Community members, and other union members, these employees are asking for your support.  Please join AFSCME Local 2229 for a demonstration at the District Office on June 1 st  from  5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  The Board needs to understand these workers are just as essential to the District as the teachers. Throughout the pandemic, these workers: •  Replaced all the air...

Fred Licon  BREAKING NEWS - Two more employers have served the City of Hawaiian Gardens for sexual harassment from Fred Licon, a supervisor in the Public Safety Department. Licon was the alleged subject in a harassment claim a few weeks ago, and is a controversial character who often claims that the City nor its City Council will not touch him.  This is because Licon used funds from the Moskowitz Foundation (the Foundation behind the Gardens Casino) to fund the majority of the City Council’s campaigns.  Licon has numerous accusations of sexual harassment and harassment over the years. 

  Artesia, California  - Buried deep within a flurry of financial reports in the next Artesia City Council agenda (May 10, 2021) is a ‘working draft’ dated June 2020, purporting to demonstrate Artesia’s gargantuan emergency reserve.  At the time of this article, June 2020 is 11 months ago.  And so begins another saga about Artesia’s mysterious finances and it’s unusually large ‘emergency reserve.’ In June last year, City Manager Bill Rawlings was boasting about having a 113 percent emergency reserve, or about $13.6 million of the budget given that Artesia has an approximately $10 million operating budget.  At the time, it was praised as a feat of financial genius. Today, many think this may be a sleight of hand. Not to be outdone by last year’s emergency reserve, the City Manager is now boasting $15 million in reserves.   A screenshot of the Working Draft of Artesia’s reserve, found in the May City Council Agenda. What Is A Reserve? In order to critique a r...

Fred Licon’s profile picture on LinkedIn. Hawaiian Gardens - Fred Licon, the City’s Senior Community Relations Officer, has for over a decade held both the H.G. City Council and the City’s management in the palm of his hand. As Community Relations Officer, Licon is in charge of the City’s force of Public Safety Officers and the liaison for the Sheriffs Department. This undue influence stems from donations from the Irving Moskowitz Foundation, which is the foundation behind The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens. Licon used those donations (which were intended for charity) to fund political campaigns for the majority of the City Council, who in turn has offered him protection and special treatment. The most recent round of news about Licon’s sexual harassment allegations against employee Brianna Gonzalez is a symptom of the special treatment and protection he has been receiving. Most recently, Licon was the ‘campaign manager’ for three candidates during the November 2020 election - My...