QUAKER CAMPUS march 28, 2024
The voice of Whittier College since 1914
Volume 22— Issue 12
Custodians Call for Change Whittier Elections
Met With Backlash Sarah Licon
NEWS EDITOR
Custodians advocate for improved working conditions. Sara Martinez COPY EDITOR Staff are once again petitioning for fair working conditions at Whittier College. On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Whittier Student-Worker Alliance (WSWA) received a letter on behalf of the housekeeping staff at Whittier. The letter, titled “Custodial Workers Statement,” details the current working conditions under their company employer, Flagship, and how that has affected their quality of work around campus. The issues started back in 2016,
when the College re-negotiated their contract with Flagship, letting off one-fourth of the cleaning staff. According to the letter, the staff who remained received a higher workload, as jobs previously done by two to three people are now expected to be done by one. The letter further states that the clauses in their company policy were amended to state that only one person was able to complete tasks previously done by a group. These changes help the staff explain why offices are now cleaned once a week. Of the 19 staff who originally worked the night shift,
Sarah Licon / Quaker Campus only four remain. They also note that, aside from an increase in work due to understaffing, their pay is unfair. Under their union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the staff began renegotiating their pay with Flagship in 2019, which never happened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They did not receive a raise until 2021, when the state of California raised the minimum wage to $15. The following year, in 2022, negotiations recommenced with the company offering a $1 raise. See Custodial Workers on pg. 2.
"Ficus Trees Are Here to Stay!"
Whittier residents protest City Beautification Plan.
Sara Martinez / Quaker Campus
Sara Martinez COPY EDITOR
10 different people, organizers of the rally decided it was time to march to Uptown. Free signs stating "Save Whittier Trees" were provided for all who were participating in the march, as well as free water and tree adoption opportunities. Once the march began, the power of the people came to life as different phrases were being chanted, including, "Ho ho, hey hey, ficus trees are here to stay!" As the protestors made their way to the intersection of Philadelphia St. and Greenleaf Ave., protest flyers were placed on each of the 180 trees designated to be cut down.
As the sun shined on Saturday, March 16, a group of Whittier community residents, former City Council members, Uptown business owners, and local high school students gathered in front of the Whittier City Council building to fight the removal of the 180 ficus trees on Greenleaf Avenue. This is part of an Uptown “beautification” process implemented by the City of Whittier. Several key speakers of the rally participated in the event, including Bob Henderson, a former Whittier City Council member who argues that current City Council members were “acting against the city code.” According to Henderson, the City Council is unlawfully ignoring a
previous plan that was implemented in any case of tree removal. The plan was carefully done with the help of an environmental architect who says that, in the case that the trees were to be removed, they must be "phased in.” This would mean that not all trees would be cut at once but over a one-year span in order to keep the canopy of shade. After the featured speakers, residents were invited to express their personal reasons for joining the rally. James, an elderly man, was first to speak. He stressed how the treeroots have no effect on his mobility through the sidewalks. After James, several Whittier candidates running for office took to the microphone, expressing their participation in the event as citizens rather than for political motives. After hearing from more than
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This article has been condensed for print. If you would like to read the full article, visit medium.com/ the-quaker-campus.
With anger about the Uptown Beautification Plan still brewing, several residents of Whittier are petitioning for a change in the city’s election policies. Election Day, set to occur on April 9, will feature candidates up for District 1 and District 3 representatives, along with the position of mayor. However, several residents are displeased with this year’s election pool. Created in 2023, Whittier for Term Limits and Legal Reform, an organization formed by Whittier residents, advocates for the city to implement term limits. For instance, incumbent mayor Joe Vinatieri, and District 2 Councilwoman Cathy Warner have both been in office for almost 20 years. Vinateri is running for a third term while Warner has previously served as mayor for three terms, and has been councilwoman since the early 2000s. The time in office for municipal politicians in California is two years. "Some members of our City Council have each been in power for 12, 18, 19 years,” states the organization on their official website. “The incumbents’ name recognition and well-established relationships with donors (many of which are outside special interests) discourage new candidates seeking office.” The petition was enacted to “promote a fair electoral system,” the website further states. The organization also petitions for the city to change its election dates to November. In addition to its no-termlimit policy, Whittier currently holds an off-cycle election due to its identity as a charter city. SB 415 was passed in 2015, which required California cities to shift election dates to the day of the California general election. The logic behind this bill is to garner more voter turnout, as state voters are more likely to vote in municipal elections if they appear on the general election ballot. The organization strong-
ly agrees with this logic, stating, "We have over 55,000 registered voters and an average of 7,000 voted in the last five elections." The organization further argues that, “City Council has shown no concern whatsoever about its low voter turnout during those elections.” Due to its characterization as a charter city, Whittier was able to tiptoe around the SB 415 bill, following a lawsuit by the City of Redondo Beach that allows charter cities to not abide by California municipal election policies. The group currently endorses District 3 candidate Monica Sena, a founder of the organization, and Magdelena Barragnon Moe and Maryann Pacheco for District 1. The website officially states, “We do not support the re-election of Joe Vinatieri due to our term limits stand.” In regards to term limits, the website also states that the appropriate limit be 12 years for “all appointed and elected City Council members.” This year's election candidates campaign for recruiting more officers in the Whittier Police Department and alleviating homelessness on the streets. As District 1 and District 3 are up for election, only Whittier residents that live within these districts are qualified to vote. To see which district you reside in, you can access a map of the districts on the City of Whittier website at www.cityofwhittier.org/ government/city-clerk/elections-information/voting-districts. All Whittier residents who are equalified voters are elgible to vote for mayor, however. In regards to election procedures, the election date is still set to occur on April 9. All qualified residents should have received a ballot in their mailbox 29 days prior to the election date. Residents have the opportunity to mail in their ballot, vote in-person, or drop their ballot off at various locations. Voting guides and polling locations can be accessed on the City of Whittier website at www.cityofwhittier.org/ government/current-election.
Courtesy of Keith Durflinger Whittier's election is controversial.
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