Artesia’s municipal government has one of the highest turnover rates of employees of any City, and much of it can be attributed to management styles at the executive level. The employee union is asking the Mayor and the City Council to conduct exit interviews of employees who have left the City, and at least issue a survey of all current employees to determine the root of the problem. For most jobs across the public and private sectors, a healthy turnover rate is about 10 percent, according to most human resources academics. But for cities and local governments, the average turnover rate is far lower, about 1.4 percent, according to Daily Pay, a Human Resources website. The reason for this lower turnover rate is that city jobs entail pensions, a clear retirement plan, a union, and several perks. Underlying Reasons for Artesia’s High Turnover Rate Andrew Perry is the President of the employee union, Local 1520 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSC...

AFSCME Local 2999 employees in front of the school district. Residents and employees in Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Lakewood, and Hawaiian Gardens are showing support for ABC School District employees today. Food service and maintenance workers at the ABC School District are getting unfair treatment by the District office, despite being the only class of employees to have worked in the field and directly with hte public through the entire pandemic. On April 15, employees and residents are showing support for their efforts. They rallied in front of the school district in Cerritos for about 15 minutes. While not everyone could be there at the time, residents and neighbors in communities covered by the ABC School District are showing their support by wearing their button. The 7X means they were seven times more likely to be exposed and quarantined during the pandemic than other employees. AFSCME Local 1520 President Andrew Perry and Artesia resident Sam Choi.  

  A couple of weeks ago, Eye on Pioneer published an article regarding the City of Artesia’s budget , how it doesn’t make sense, and that in many ways it seems like there is a hand of manipulation behind it. Since that article, there have been calls from the community for a budget study or a town hall meeting.  Eye on Pioneer sat down with Andrew Perry, President of Local 1520 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), to talk about this hot topic.   “I’m concerned on behalf of the employees that there is something fishy going on with the budget. Even just a casual glance at the current budget sparks questions,” said Perry. “The City’s finances are the life blood of the City, and therefore important for the livelihood of its employees. If there are issues with the budget, it’s important that it is handled appropriately.” “A budget should answer questions, not create them,” added Perry.  “I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed,”...

AFSCME essential workers at ABC Unified School District are seven times more likely to be exposed to the coronavirus, and are asking to be treated equitably. Food service and maintenance workers at the ABC School District are getting unfair treatment by the District office, despite being the only class of employees to have worked through the entire pandemic. ABC School District is covered by three unions: the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the California School Employee Association (CSEA), and the teacher’s union. At ABC, the CSEA covers secretaries and office workers, and AFSCME Local 2229 covers maintenance and food service workers. The latter have worked throughout the pandemic, and were often exposed to the virus through interactions with the public - by interacting with parents and other employees. While teachers and office workers were able to work remotely or come to the office and do other work to supplement their regular duties, AFSCME ...

Over the years, Artesia’s budget process has gone through a very puzzling evolution. Prior to the current City Manager Bill Rawlings, the City’s budget was straight forward and easy to understand. In fact, it actually won awards for those traits! Shortly after Rawlings started, he hired a woman named Tracy Fuller to act as a consultant of sorts, and one of her duties was to assist with the City’s finances. Together, they created a budget that to this day makes both auditors and laymen scratch their heads. Fuller is no longer with the City, but Rawlings is still responsible for creating the budget. A Balanced Budget in 2020?   In June 2020, the City Council passed a budget along with a new contract with the employee union, which was a stark difference from what most other cities were doing. In the middle of the pandemic, most cities were preparing for a huge economic downturn and employee layoffs due to a massive decrease in revenue. Artesia was different. Yes, there was a project...

In Artesia, residents and employees are asking the same question Artesia, California. Mid-March has passed, marking the one year anniversary of the pandemic lockdown for many American workers.    In the City of Artesia, workers in Public Works and Public Safety have been working onsite throughout the pandemic, and even City Hall and Parks employees have been working most of the year on a rotating schedule, all of them keeping the City running and looking good. Even City Managers, the municipal equivalent of a CEO, are supposed to be on the scene. Throughout the nation, these appointed heads of cities are showing up at their respective offices to oversee and assure that their cities are being run efficiently. But in Artesia, City Manager Bill Rawlings has not been seen for almost an entire year. Employees and residents are wondering, “Where’s Bill?” “Good question,” said Andrew Perry, President of the Artesia employee union, AFSCME Local 1520. “I have heard that he works remote...

   'Your Slate' Candidates' Campaign tore up opposition signs of candidates Francisco Noyola and Hank Trimble.   HAWAIIAN GARDENS - In their bid for three available City Council seats, nine candidates are locked in a vicious battle. One faction has become infamous for their unethical and crooked election tactics. Three candidates banding together under the banner of "Your Slate" are seeking and destroying the signs of opposition candidates, and undermining the election by trying to replace a key city elections official.  These candidates are Victor Farfan, Myra Maravilla, and Maria Teresa Del Rio. Dirty Politics Behind their slick videos, the three candidates known for their tagline #yourslate have been seeking out the signs of opposition candidates and cutting them or tearing them up.  According to ethics professors around the world, this breaks Rule #1 of campaigning and probably life in general: Don't be a jerk.   According to Washington Post's Jai...