Orange County workers pause strike as union returns to talks

Teamsters Local 952 paused its Orange County worker strike and returned to negotiations with county supervisors, according to Voice of OC. More than 400 public employees began picketing last week in a dispute over wages and backpay.

The dispute affected county services, including landfills and the animal shelter, even as county officials publicly downplayed its impact. It comes as cities across Orange County weigh budget cuts, surveillance policies and the future of public facilities ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

County lawyers filed a labor complaint alleging that striking employees blocked roads to landfills, according to Voice of OC. The complaint attributed a roughly 75% drop in trash deliveries at one landfill to those blockages. The union suspended picketing while resuming talks.

Surveillance and DNA collection also drew scrutiny. Santa Ana could discontinue Flock automatic license plate reader cameras amid residents’ concerns, while Fullerton imposed a six-month pause. Orange County signed a settlement requiring the disposal of substantial portions of a DNA database tied to a district attorney program that dismisses misdemeanor cases in exchange for DNA submissions, Voice of OC reported.

In Santa Ana, council members faced questions about whether a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a public pool served as a campaign event. The city circulated photographs of the ceremony while the pool remained closed to the public. About half of the city’s council candidates attended a community forum Monday and discussed how they would respond to ICE if elected.

Municipal finances were another focus. Anaheim council members are considering changes to the Disneyland Resort district, with one councilwoman questioning past taxpayer subsidies as the city faces an ongoing structural deficit. Irvine council members are cutting city-sponsored events to address a budget gap that could reach $40 million in less than two years, according to Voice of OC.

Some candidates at an Irvine City Council debate supported creating an independent auditor. At a Costa Mesa forum, council candidates discussed immigrant support services and affordable housing ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Voice of OC also published its final county supervisor candidate questionnaires, addressing landfills, county creeks and the shrinking coastline.

In Laguna Beach, council members authorized $500,000 for a study of how to preserve the city’s only emergency room. In Dana Point, residents are organizing to save pine trees at Lantern Bay Park that hotel renovation plans call for removing, Voice of OC reported.

The Dana Point tree removal plans are tied to an agreement permitting replacement of a waterline on park property, according to Voice of OC. Residents’ preservation effort centers on the pine trees slated for removal under those plans.