The late Andrea Zimmer was eulogized in a Facebook post this past September as “a champion of working people and a bold labor leader.” Further, it stated Zimmer’s leadership of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 “was fearless, creative, and always rooted in workers’ experiences.”
Local 324 lost Zimmer unexpectedly to a heart attack that month, and its members were mourning her. Little did they know at the time that many of them would find themselves holding a protest rally in front of the local’s own office in Buena Park about six months after her death.
Last Wednesday, dozens of the union’s members gathered for the protest prior to a meeting. The reason behind their action, according to this news story by my colleague Gabriel San Román, was that the executive board had elected a new union leader, Jose Perez, in early February on a razor-thin margin, 8-7. Internal turmoil ensued.
The protesters, who would not have supported Perez for the seat, expressed their opinions that the vote to replace Zimmer should have gone to the general membership, not just the executive board.
“Backroom negotiations took place and that’s when things began to change,” Matt Walters, a shop steward at an Irvine Pavilions grocery store and an e-board member himself, told the reporter. “We’re just trying to get an election. That’s the only fair way to have the future of our union and our leaders selected.”
During last week’s protest, a petition circulated calling for a general election that would allow the local’s 22,000 members to weigh in.
But that wasn’t the only side of the coin represented that day, according to the story: “As workers marched and chanted ‘one member, one vote,’ Perez supporters launched a counter protest.”
In an official statement, Perez’s election was also defended by union leaders, who maintained that bylaws were followed in the process that led to his election: “We know Jose Perez will fight firmly, passionately, and relentlessly for every single one of our members.”
For now, San Román reports, the dissatisfied members of the local will continue to push for election reform.
“Members did not have the opportunity to get to decide who they wanted to lead,” Walters reiterated to the reporter. “Everyone should have a voice, not just people that get to be on the e-board.”
MORE NEWS 
Bunnyhenge in Newport Beach.
(Courtesy Stephanie Hammerwold)
• The Newport Beach City Council is eyeing Civic Center Park as a potential location for a new police headquarters. For those not in the know, the park is locally beloved for its “Bunnyhenge” display. What will the residents say? Maybe they’ll at least take comfort in the knowledge that three of the city’s ZIP Codes recently made the list of Top 10 California areas with the highest home values.
• A legal row over whether a former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce leader can withdraw from his plea deal in a corruption case has revealed allegations about a federal investigation into COVID testing contracts at the Santa Ana Unified School District.
• Costa Mesa resident Julian Hernandez, 25, died March 4 in the hospital where he was being cared for following a suspected rattlesnake bite he suffered on Feb. 1 in Irvine.
• The Southland is entering into what officals are calling a “historic” March heatwave. By Friday, for example, Anaheim is expected to see 99-degree daytime high, in San Clemente that number is pegged at 82. For a list of Orange County cooling centers, visit OCGov.com.
BUSINESS 
El Pollo Loco, headquartered in Costa Mesa, experienced surprisingly strong results last year.
(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
• Costa Mesa-based El Pollo Loco announced surprisingly strong results for last year, The Times reports, and is looking at further expansion than it had already planned.
• Anduril Industries, also headquartered in Costa Mesa, has struck a deal to buy Foothill Ranch space surveillance firm ExoAnalytic Solutions, according to this Times article.
• The 72-year-old Bird Cage Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm has been refurbished and reopened last week, just in time for the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival, which runs through April 12.” [The Bird Cage] was hot, it stunk and it was dirty,” a park official told The Times’ Todd Martens.
CRIME 
Jose Angel Aguilar allegedly cut off his ankle monitor and walked away from a probation program in Orange County. Orange County Probation Department
(Orange County Probation Department)
• Jose Angel Aguilar, a convicted murderer who was on probation, cut his ankle monitor and fled Tuesday from Santiago Canyon College where he’d been enrolled in classes. The 22-year-old was recaptured on Thursday.
• Orland Gaitan Diaz, 50, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison last Wednesday for sexually assaulting two 6-year-old girls he is related to in Huntington Beach.
• Flipe Ricoceballos, 43, a rideshare driver, was arrested on suspicion of sexually attacking an intoxicated female passenger in the 2100 block of Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa on Feb. 27.
• Two 23-year-old men were charged Tuesday with raping an intoxicated woman in Newport Beach on March 12.
SPORTS 
Josie Geiler Allen of Newport Harbor, Leigh Bertea of Mater Dei and Penny Steffens of Corona Del Mar, from left, pose with their favorite horses at the Orange County Polo Club’s interscholastic women’s team based in Silverado Canyon.
(Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
• Orange County Polo Club, based in Silverado, recently completed its first interscholastic girls’ varsity season. My Daily Pilot colleague Matt Szabo caught up with the team and learned that this season they made it to the final game of the United States Polo Assn. Western Interscholastic Regionals tournament on March 1, before dropping a 6-5 decision against host Lakeside.
• The Ducks beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Sunday night to regain the Pacific Division lead, the Associated Press reported.
• The Times has released its Top 25 rankings of high school baseball teams, which includes a few O.C. teams. You can find that list here.
LIFE & LEISURE 
Crystal Hernandez is seated in her Newport Beach home with her musician father Jose Hernandez, who founded Mariachi Reyna.
(Susan Hoffman)
• Crystal Hernandez, 25, is a seventh-generation mariachi player from Newport Beach who is set to be honored along with her fellow Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles members as they are inducted into the California Hall of Fame on Thursday. Daily Pilot contributing writer Susan Hoffman interviewed Crystal and her musician father, Jose Hernandez, in their Newport home for this feature story. Jose Hernandez founded Mariachi Reyna in 1994. It made history as the first all-female mariachi ensemble.
Fourth and fifth graders work behind the scenes producing the student-run broadcasting program, Sea Star News, at Seacliff Elementary School in Huntington Beach.
(Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
• Students in the fourth and fifth grades at a Huntington Beach elementary school have launched a popular in-house monthly video broadcast titled the Sea Star News, with the kids taking on every job involved in the production, from the script-writing tasks to the filming.
Michael B. Jordan holds his Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role for “Sinners” during the 98th Annual Academy Awards held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
• Especially for Orange County trivia fans: Michael B. Jordan, who accepted the Academy Award for Best Actor on Sunday, was born in Santa Ana and lived in this area until he moved with his family to New Jersey when he was a toddler. So, don’t let it throw you when he says he’s an East Coast native.
CALENDAR 
A group of cosplayers dressed as various mandalorians looks from the Star Wars franchise, pose outside the Wondercon 2023 show in Anaheim. This year’s Wondercon takes place March 27-29.
(Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
• Get your cosplaying outfits ready, because WonderCon, produced by Comic-con International, returns to the Anaheim Convention Center March 27–29.
St. Joseph’s Day and the Return of the Swallows celebration includes Native American demonstrations at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
(Courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano)
• San Juan Capistrano’s Fiesta Days Assn. is holding its annual Fiesta Grande at the Swallows Inn tonight and the 66th annual Swallow’s Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. this Saturday, carrying the theme “Trails, Tails & Traditions – 250 Years.” In between those two events, Mission San Juan Capistrano will host its annual St. Joseph’s Day and Return of the Swallows celebration on Thursday.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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