by Niyaz Pirani, Orange County Employees Association

Orange County’s public employees are the backbone of County government. They keep streets safe and clean, and provide vital services the community needs. Unfortunately, politicians and their corporate backers have not let up on their attacks on workers, eroding the middle class our grandparents’ generation built brick by brick. And they’re doing it for their own political gain.

The 18,000 members of the Orange County Employees Association, the largest public-employee union in the county, are standing together against this assault by launching a campaign in the Orange County Register that tells Orange County residents about the heroics of public employees in their community.
Printed in certain Monday editions of the newspaper and published online, OCEA’s “Working People Standing Together” series profiles safety officers, public health workers and other dedicated employees about the critical work they do each day for our communities.

Their experiences are remarkable. At the airport, Sheriff’s Special Officer Dan Beam (also an OCEA Board member) rushed to save a man’s life after he collapses on the sidewalk. In an office across town, Senior Social Worker Kerensa Schupmann works tirelessly to support broken families and protect vulnerable children. Meanwhile, Public Health Nurses Pam Douglas and Larry Pritchett take to the streets in support of homeless men, women and children in need of medical care and community resources.

The series will continue to be updated. View published profiles now at www.oceamember.org/workingpeople