Smart & Final workers fear possible job losses in warehouse pivot

• October 17, 2023

Teamsters members at Chedraui USA-owned Smart & Final distribution centers in Commerce and Riverside fear they may soon lose their jobs, and they’re alerting customers of their concerns.

The two facilities will be closing next year as the company shifts operations to a bigger 2.4 million-square-foot distribution center in Rancho Cucamonga that’s set to open in 2024. The shift will require the 600 workers to be terminated before reapplying for their positions at the new facility.

Teamsters officials call that a “union busting” move and say Chedraui has made no guarantee employees will keep their jobs at the new center, which is expected to boost the company’s Southern California distribution capacity by 50%.

Teamsters have filed seven unfair labor practice charges against Chedraui/Smart& Final, alleging violations of federal labor law. The allegations include anti-union retaliationregarding facility relocations and employee terminations, interference with workers’ right to organize and bad-faith bargaining.

Workers from the two warehouses gathered outside a Smart & Final supermarket in Burbank on Tuesday, Oct. 17 to hand out leaflets expressing their concerns about possible job losses. (Photo courtesy of Teamsters Local 630)

Workers from the two warehouses gathered outside a Smart & Final supermarket in Burbank on Tuesday, Oct. 17 to hand out leaflets expressing their concerns. It was part of a national day of action that saw employees giving flyers to customers at more than 50 Chedraui-owned stores throughout the U.S.

Workers are demanding the company guarantee Local 630 members their jobs “at just wages and under a union contract.”

“Some of these people have been with this company for 30 to 35 years,” said Oscar Ruiz, an organizer with Teamsters Local 630. “Just imagine your employer telling you, ‘You’ll have to start all over again. Oh, and by the way, we’ll see if we can hire you or not.’ “

Representatives with Chedraui USA could not be reached for comment.

Warehouse employees fear their pay could be lowered by as much as $10 an hour to be in line with what non-union workers earn at the company’s El Super distribution facilities.

The Commerce employees currently make $30 to $32 an hour, while Riverside workers earn $2 an hour less. But their take-home pay is closer to $25 an hour when out-of-pocket expenses for their health plan are figured in, union officials said.

If their pay is lowered to El Super distribution levels, employees say they would earn a top wage of around $20 an hour.

Daniel Delgado, who has worked at the Riverside warehouse for nearly 20 years, said Chedraui has two options — bring El Super warehouse wages up to Smart & Final levels, or lower Smart & Final wages.

“It doesn’t make sense for this company to bring the El Super employees up to what we’re making per hour,” he said. “At El Super, the starting wage is $15 an hour, so I could see my pay cut almost in half.”

A U.S. subsidiary of Mexican grocery giant Grupo Chedraui, Chedraui USA’s portfolio includes 37 El Super stores, 30 Fiesta Marts and 250 Smart & Final locations across California.

“When Chedraui came in two years ago, management started changing,” said Bobby Perez, who works at the Commerce facility. “They said, ‘Don’t worry — we’ll take care of you. You don’t have to vote union.”

Perez said Chedraui’s existing workforce is valuable and should be treated as such.

“We made this company,” the 52-year-old Whittier resident said. “We’re a well-oiled machine and we know how to work. We’re just sticking up for our rights and benefits.”

In a May 9 letter to employees, Chedraui USA President Carlos Smith said the company’s network of five Southern California distribution centers is “already operating at capacity.”

“The new Rancho Cucamonga facility will allow us to integrate and centralize our distribution operations while adding warehouse space to support growth,” Smith said. “We encourage individuals with warehouse experience, dependability and a positive job history to consider applying to join the new Rancho Cucamonga team in 2024.”

​ Orange County Register 

Rams to increase season ticket prices for first time since move to SoFi Stadium

• October 17, 2023

The Rams are raising the price of season ticket packages for the 2024 season, the organization announced in an email to season ticket holders on Tuesday.

Previously, Rams’ season ticket packages began at $600 per season ($60 per game) and ranged up to $3,750 ($375 per game). Prices will now range from $720-$4,050, with the Rams stating that 52% of the stadium will see an increase of $10 per game or less.

“We thought our price increase was reasonable overall given the context of normally teams raise ticket prices each year; we haven’t for three years,” Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said on a call with reporters. “This is a pretty moderate increase coming off of three years without an increase.”

The price hike represents the first since the Rams began playing games at SoFi Stadium with fans in attendance in 2021. As the Rams were selling the first season ticket packages for SoFi while still playing at the Coliseum, the organization pledged to freeze ticket prices for the first three years at the new stadium.

That was originally supposed to run from 2020-2022, but fans were not allowed to attend games during the 2020 season due to COVID-19, so 2023 was the last season of the Rams’ price freeze.

“There was a science to where these tickets went up which was based on, what’s the actual value of these tickets as they exist?” Demoff said. “I think as you look forward to the next wave of this team, the next wave of investment that’s coming ahead of this next iteration of team, to continue to do the things we’ve done, this will help fuel this process as well. Quite frankly, the value of our tickets, if you look at them from our fans on the secondary market, they warrant an increase to meet the kind of the market data that has been valued.”

Demoff said the price increase is not related to the rising NFL salary cap, but more a reflection of the costs of operating SoFi Stadium. When the Rams first set season ticket prices in 2018, they were merely projecting the labor and utility bills that would be needed to run the venue.

The price hike comes not after the Rams won the Super Bowl in Feb. 2022, but after an off-season in which the Rams allowed several expensive veterans to leave via free agency while resetting the team’s salary cap situation after outsized spending in pursuit of that championship run.

“This has always been a team that’s has invested in our players, invested in our coaches,” Demoff said. “Because the salary cap this year did not allow for that type of investment, isn’t how we look at this team going forward. Next year, we have a full complement of draft picks as of right now, plus probably four compensatory picks. We have close to $50 million of salary cap space to be able to go invest in new players, to make the kind of trades we’ve made.”

In correspondence with the price increase, the Rams announced two new benefits for season ticket holders as a result of fan surveys conducted each August and December.

The first is a ticket turnover program. If season ticket holders know they can’t make it to certain games on the schedule and don’t want to deal with the secondary ticket market, they can sell up to three games’ worth of tickets back to the Rams for a credit toward the next year’s package.

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And then the Rams will also begin offering a food and beverage discount to season ticket holders. Depending on whether they have reserve, premiere or club-level packages, fans will get a 15-30% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks.

“We hear it from our season ticket holders, ‘Help me out financially,’ ” said Dan August, the Rams’ executive vice president of consumer revenue and strategy. “To the point of we’re making more money off raising tickets, we want to invest it back into benefits and we want to give it to our season ticket holders, our Rams fans. And this is one that, the more games you attend, the more dollars you will save in total.”

​ Orange County Register 

UCLA continues search for first Pac-12 road win of the season

• October 17, 2023

LOS ANGELES — UCLA football is still looking for its first Pac-12 road win this season, and it has an opportunity to find it this weekend at Stanford.

“We want to get it bad,” defensive lineman Gary Smith III said. “We want to win every game, so hopefully we can get one on the road this week. And we’re excited for the challenge.”

The Bruins’ two road losses of Pac-12 play this season have come against Utah and in its most recent game against Oregon State. Utah plays exceptionally well at home and currently owns a 17-game win streak at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The volume of Oregon State’s crowd and environment proved challenging as well.

UCLA also has back-to-back road games in Oregon State and Stanford, shortening the window of time available to have a productive week of practice and recovery.

“You don’t get that extra Friday to really recover,” said running back Carson Steele, who carried the ball 22 times against the Beavers.

“You’ve gotta get on a plane and go out and so it’s just another day where you’ve got to really take advantage of coming in as early as you can and getting that recovery and then recovery after football, after practice, after school.”

Stanford is winless on its home field this season, but is also coming off a comeback win over Colorado in which receiver Eric Ayomanor finished with 294 yards and three touchdowns. UCLA’s defense has limited opponents to an average of 205 passing yards per game this season.

“I was watching that game,” Smith said. “It was crazy. They’re definitely rolling right now. We’ve got to create turnovers, create havoc and limit X plays.”

Bruins happy to see Kaho back

The Bruins could be regaining a piece of their defense soon. Linebacker Ale Kaho was seen participating in individual drills for the second day in a row on Tuesday morning. He was the last player in line to proceed through the drills, but appeared to move comfortably.

Kaho was spotted at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 7 during UCLA’s game against Washington State walking without the boot that he had been wearing in the prior weeks.

“When I first got here, Ale was one of the first guys I met,” Smith said. “So just seeing what he can bring to the table and hopefully getting him back soon, it’s amazing. I’m excited for him.”

Kaho was injured for the 2022 season but tallied 32 tackles, three sacks, a pass deflection and a forced fumble in 11 games in 2021.

In other injury updates, Collin Schlee was not seen at practice for the second straight day after leaving the Oregon State game early due to injury.

Homecoming game sells out

The Bruins’ homecoming matchup against Colorado is sold out, as UCLA announced on social media on Tuesday morning. UCLA athletics announced on Monday that the game would be played at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 and will be televised on ABC.

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Seats situated on the 50-yard line were listed for roughly $240 on SeatGeek, a ticket resale website, on Tuesday morning shortly after the sellout was announced.

Attendance at UCLA’s most recent home game against Washington State was 35,437. The highest attendance of the season at the Rose Bowl was the Bruins’ season opener against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 2, which reached 43,705.

​ Orange County Register 

Two new Republican candidates in race for Rep. Mike Levin’s seat want unity in GOP

• October 17, 2023

Congress has been without a House speaker for two weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, was ousted from the position, and two Republican candidates vying for California’s 49th congressional district say a divided GOP is hurting the country.

Kate Monroe, a U.S. Marine veteran and Margarita Wilkinson, a longtime media executive, are the latest to jump into the race. There are now four Republicans vying for the seat as well as incumbent Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano.

Monroe, who launched her campaign in August, said the lack of “strong leadership at the head of the Republican Party” is one reason why she is running.

“It’s interesting, the dichotomy between the left and the right,” Monroe said. “On the left, whether they hate each other or not, they stay snugged in very tightly. On our side, we tend to break into little coalitions, and we don’t have a united front.”

The San Diego resident said her experience in the military and running a company — solving problems, respecting different perspectives, encouraging transparency — would help her unite members in Congress. Monroe heads VetComm, an organization she said helps veterans collect disability compensation that otherwise may go unclaimed.

“I’m a very strong leader. All of my employees are always rowing in the same direction,” Monroe said. “We may have differences, but we have a vision that we’re trying to accomplish, and I know without every single person, we can’t get it done right.”

Wilkinson, who threw her hat in the ring for CA-49 last month, said the Republican Party needs to unite as one.

“Having a functioning Congress is too important for everything that is happening today,” she said. “Some of the most important things is to unite the party, support each other and support the needs of your district.”

The 49th district is one of 37 California seats held by Democrats that the national GOP’s campaign arm sees as a “prime pick up” for Republicans.

Levin, who like other Democrats voted to oust McCarthy, said on social media that “it’s time for (Republicans) to put partisanship aside and cooperate with House Democrats to get back to work serving the American people.”

The coastal district, spanning both Orange and San Diego counties, runs from Dana Point and San Clemente to Solana Beach and Del Mar.

Wilkinson, who resides in Del Mar, is the senior vice president and general manager of Entravision Communications, which owns and operates Univision San Diego and broadcast affiliates in Tijuana.

“I understand the community very well. I deal and talk to community leaders on a daily basis,” Wilkinson said.

“Over the past 32 years, I’ve served as the eyes and ears to my community. My job is to provide meaningful content and information to our viewers,” she said. “Now I want to be the voice that represents each and every one of us in our district.”

Wilkinson said she’s seen firsthand economic struggles, and growing the economy will be one of her main priorities if elected.

Illegal border crossings, too, are another issue she wants to tackle in Congress, especially as an immigrant from Mexico who took the legal route to come to the U.S.

“I grew up in a border city, El Paso–Juárez, and now I live in another one,” Wilkinson said. “We have millions of illegal immigrants who have come in. We have the fentanyl crisis; we are one of the biggest ports of entry for that. We need a safe and secure border.”

Monroe, who said she has been closely following homelessness in San Diego, said she wants to push for building “base camps” that will shelter unhoused people and provide them with various services, including a cafeteria, shower facilities and drug rehab.

And Social Security, especially for the unhoused, should not be taxed, Monroe said.

“If you look at the amount of people that are homeless in the district, a lot of them are 65 and older, trying to live on Social Security. And they just can’t do it,” Monroe said. “They just don’t have the resources financially to afford to live here.”

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Looking out for veterans is another top priority, Monroe said. As the representative of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Monroe said she will fight to untax military retirement pay.

“That would give (veterans) more income to spend in their states that would benefit the state,” she said.

Since launching their campaigns, Wilkinson and Monroe have each brought in a little over $1 million and $175,965, respectively, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.

About a tenth of Wilkinson’s $1 million haul was fueled by individual contributions, and she personally loaned her campaign $825,000. Monroe loaned her campaign $150,000.

Levin leads the field in fundraising. In the third quarter, he brought in $510,789 and has around $1.1 million cash on hand.

Two other Republican challengers, Matt Gunderson and Sheryl Adams, each raised $89,785 and $596,380, loaning their campaign $50,000 and $500,000, respectively. Gunderson ended the most recent filing period with $789,912 cash on hand while Adams closed out with $172,678 still left to spend.

On the speaker race, Gunderson said, “Washington is a dysfunctional mess.”

“Orange County families suffer back at home with inflation, high taxes, rising crime and other real-life problems,” Gunderson said. “I’m running for Congress to serve the people of the 49th District, not to feud with career politicians in the swamp.”

​ Orange County Register 

Whittier man, an ex-Inglewood cop, pleads guilty to federal cocaine charge

• October 17, 2023

SANTA ANA — A former Inglewood Police Department officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of distributing cocaine.

John Abel Baca, 47, of Whittier, who served as an Inglewood officer for 21 years, admitted that he distributed cocaine on two occasions. Sentencing was set for Feb. 5 in Santa Ana federal court.

On April 29, 2021, Baca delivered cocaine to a witness cooperating with law enforcement. Baca then delivered 2.2 pounds of cocaine to the same cooperating witness during a meeting the following week in exchange for $22,000 in cash, according to his plea agreement.

In February 2021, the witness informed the FBI that Baca previously had offered to sell 2.2 pounds of cocaine, 4.4 pounds of white heroin and an unlimited supply of black tar heroin. The informant reported that Baca claimed to have stolen drugs and cash during routine traffic stops he made while working with a drug task force, federal prosecutors said.

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During a covertly recorded meeting in late April 2021, Baca provided a sample of the cocaine to the informant to provide to purported buyers. Several days later, Baca negotiated the price for 2.2 pounds of cocaine — $22,000 in cash — and then delivered a brick of cocaine to the informant’s workplace. Later the same day, Baca collected $22,000 from the cooperating witness, he admitted.

In the plea agreement, Baca admitted that he abused his position of trust as a police officer, including by stealing drugs from the police department’s lock-up and reselling them.

The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County boys athlete of the week: Ardwon Morris, Orange

• October 17, 2023

The Orange County boys athlete of the week:

Name: Ardwon Morris

School: Orange

Sport: Football

Year: Senior

Noteworthy: He rushed for 409 yards and seven touchdowns on 33 carries in the Panthers’ 59-20 win over Estancia in an Orange Coast League game. Morris’ 409 rushing yards are the eighth-most in Orange County high school history. Tthe county record is 547 yards by Nathan Lancaster of Laguna Beach in 2013. Morris (5-10, 210), who committed to Sacramento State, has rushed for 1,499 yards and 20 touchdowns this season and is averaging 9 yards a carry.

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​ Orange County Register 

Can the police search my cell phone? Ask the Lawyer

• October 17, 2023

Q: I got into it with a guy at a bar and we both were arrested. There are two witnesses who are clear this other person was wasted and started it, and that I was defending myself. But the police confiscated my cell phone. I want to know can they just go through it for any reason?

M.O., Tustin Ranch

Ron Sokol

A: The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the police may only search your cellphone when they have your consent or a valid search warrant. As to your consent, it has to be provided freely and voluntarily (not coerced). As to a search warrant, the police are to only search the phone identified and to focus on the evidence described in the warrant.

There may, however, be exigent circumstances that permit a search without warrant or consent: If the police have to search a phone quickly to prevent bodily harm or imminent danger to someone; to prevent the destruction of evidence of a crime; or to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect. The exigent circumstances are to be carefully assessed to make sure they are legitimate.

Q: A friend of mine was driving. He had a bit to drink, got pulled over and by the time it was done, was arrested. Among other things, they took his cell phone. That’s legal?

G.N., Inglewood

A: Research indicates that the police generally can seize a cell phone, if a person is legally arrested. They can do so without a warrant. This does not mean they can search the phone, absent exigent circumstances as discussed above. The police could apply for a search warrant, if they have probable cause to believe the cell phone holds evidence of a crime.

Q: If I am pulled over by the police and asked for my cell phone, am I required to turn it over?

B.V., Long Beach

A: I think this question is best answered by a criminal law specialist who can talk out with you the circumstances involved. For example: Why were you pulled over? Was there some dialog with the officer that led him or her to ask for your cell phone?

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My knee jerk reaction — and that’s all I can provide with such limited information — is that you may politely refuse to turn over your cell phone. If you consent, and the officer deems that you have agreed your cell phone can be searched, then whatever is found on your cell phone could possibly be used against you.

Ron Sokol has been a practicing attorney for over 40 years, and has also served many times as a judge pro tem, mediator, and arbitrator. It is important to keep in mind that this column presents a summary of the law, and is not to be treated or considered legal advice, let alone a substitute for actual consultation with a qualified professional.

​ Orange County Register 

Dana Hills football finding ways to win in quest for outright league title

• October 17, 2023

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Dana Hills football coach Tony Henney uses a colorful phrase to describe a momentum-shifting performance that succeeds despite slim chances.

The veteran coach calls those moments “stealing a play,” and they’re pushing the Dolphins closer toward one of their biggest goals for the season.

Dana Hills, for example, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last week in a 21-20 victory against reigning state champion Laguna Hills in the teams’ Pacific Coast League opener.

Henney doesn’t believe any of his former squads ever accomplished such a feat, and he guided Nordhoff and Trabuco Hills to CIF-SS championships before arriving at Dana Hills in 2021.

The Dolphins also stopped a fourth-and-goal from their 3-yard line in the third quarter against Laguna Hills, which was riding a section-leading 15-game winning streak.

“The kids are finding ways to win,” Henney said of Dana Hills, which is 6-2 overall. “We had to steal a few plays to win.”

Senior Noah Kucera sparked the efforts against Laguna Hills by returning the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown.

Junior Owen Walz followed early in the second quarter by returning a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

Henney credited Kucera and Walz for their speed and patience on the returns, along with the Dolphins’ blocking.

“I think (Laguna Hills) is a good football team,” the coach said. “(Our) kids did their assignments.”

Dana Hills also received an eye-opening performance from junior Grant Peters, who filled in for injured sophomore Charlie Eckl at outside linebacker.

Peters contributed nine total tackles to support inside linebackers Cooper Walsh (12 tackles) and Dominic Barto (nine tackles).

Dana Hills received similar step-up performances in a 14-7 victory against Irvine on Oct. 6.

Walz, a transfer from San Clemente, shifted from running back to quarterback to fill in for sophomore starter Jace Lowe.

Kucera, a wide receiver and safety, also sealed the victory with an interception with about 30 seconds left on another goal-line stand.

The inspired play, along with the healthy return of wide receiver Chase Berry, has Dana Hills contending for its first outright league title in school history.

The Dolphins play at Portola (4-4, 0-1) on Friday before playing host to Northwood (4-4, 1-0) — a state championship runner-up last season — in Week 10.

“Our goal was to win our first outright league title and we’re on pace to that,” Henney said. “But it’s the old Kobe Bryant saying: job is not finished.”

TROY THOMAS MAKING AN IMPACT AT EDISON

Former Servite head coach Troy Thomas is taking a major role guiding Edison’s defense.

Last week in a 31-28 victory against Newport Harbor, Thomas led the defensive meeting at halftime on the field as the Chargers tried to cool off Sailors quarterback Jaden O’Neal.

“I’ve learned so much from him and he’s progressed our defense tremendously,” senior defensive back Jared Schnoor said of Thomas, one of the assistants for Jeff Grady.

“He’s very intense. He’s very disciplined as well. It’s pretty nerve-wracking when he’s talking to you. He wants to make you a better player, which is why he’s a real good coach.”

Schnoor leads Edison with four interceptions.

Thomas is coaching one of his former Servite players in Edison linebacker Hoi Hansen, a senior who leads Orange County with 114 tackles.

NOTES

Former Orange Lutheran coach Jim Kunau is serving as a consultant at Santa Margarita. …

Los Alamitos junior Alonzo Esparza passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for two scores in a 69-14 victory against Corona del Mar last week. …

San Clemente posted its first victory at Mission Viejo since 1998 — the final season of Tritons coach Mark McElroy — with its 20-10 victory last week. In 1998, the Tritons rallied from an 18-point deficit for a 24-21 victory against the Diablos. …

San Juan Hills (8-0) is off to the best start in school history. …

Troy (5-3, 3-0) and Sonora (7-1, 3-0) meet Friday at La Habra High for sole possession of first place in the Freeway League. The Warriors, who have already defeated league juggernaut La Habra, are seeking their first outright league crown since 2006. The Raiders, who play La Habra in Week 10, have never won the Freeway League title and last won league in 1973 in the Orange League. …

The CIF-SS Division 1 final will played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 24, the section announced Tuesday. Last season, the Division 1 championship game between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco was held at the Rose Bowl.

Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsitguy on X or Instagram

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​ Orange County Register