City Manager William ‘Bill’ Rawlings At the June 14 Artesia City Council meeting, three councilmembers admitted there were closed session discussions regarding reported wrongdoings of City Manager Bill Rawlings . However, weeks after that council meeting, and more than a month after those reports were first discussed, Artesia employees are asking, “Where’s the investigation?” For the June council meeting, Union President Andrew Perry (AFSCME Local 1520) organized residents and other union members to write public comments for an agenda item . The agenda item was in favor of a policy that allows employees to report to the City Attorney any discrimination, harassment, or illegal activities that stem from the City Manager. Under this policy, the City Attorney acts as a sort of intermediary between employees and the City Council. All the public comments submitted through this organizing effort were in support of Artesia employees and the ability to make these anonymous reports through...

  At the regular City Council meeting on June 14, City Councilmember Monica Manalo and two other councilmembers admitted that unethical or possibly illegal activity stemming from the City Manager was discussed in closed session meetings about the City Manager’s performance. City Council was discussing a discrimination and harassment policy that was updated in November 2020. Eight public comments were submitted to the Council, supporting Artesia employees’ hypothetical ability to use the City Attorney as an avenue to report harassment, discrimination, or illegal activity stemming from the City Manager. In response to the public comments, Manalo said, “I am floored that someone leaked information from the closed session meeting. They keep talking about the City Manager and admonishment to concerns.” However, none of the comments were about whatever was discussed in these closed session meetings. The comments were about the policy and the theoretical ability for employees to report t...

Councilmember Ali Sajjad Taj Artesia, California - At the next regular council meeting on June 14, Artesia Councilmember Ali Taj may be looking to alter a harassment and discrimination policy adopted last year, to the detriment of employees. In November 2020, the City Council discussed for seven full minutes an updated discrimination and harassment policy . There were two main updates: 1) language that includes additional protected groups (I.e. transgender, religious creeds, veteran status, etc) , and 2) an update to the reporting requirements. During that meeting, Councilmember Melissa Ramoso talked about the importance of having a portal for staff to report discrimination or harassment anonymously. Previously, the City’s policy only had Human Resources and the City Manager as individuals whom employees can lodge a complaint.  The updated policy includes the City Attorney’s office, in the event employees want to lodge a complaint anonymously or against upper management, and speci...

ABC DISTRICT OFFICE - Several hundred of ABC School District’s essential employees and their supporters picketed  outside the District Office on Tuesday, June 1. These employees, represented by their union (AFSCME Loca 2229) have been fighting for equitable treatment for months. Teachers and office workers received a bonus, but the employees who worked onsite throughout the entire pandemic (food services, maintenance, bus drivers, electricians, etc) have not.  Workers picketed outside the District Office an hour before the meeting of the School Board, to remind the Boardmember that the District has left some very important employees out of the loop. Eye On Pioneer’s Andrew Perrywas in the scene to cover the story.

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...