39-Year Head of County Workers’ Union to Retire
After a 39-year career as general manager for the Orange County Employees Assn., John H. Sawyer said Wednesday that he plans to retire Monday.
“You reach a point when you think the time is right, and things have been going good for OCEA, so I’m leaving,” said Sawyer, 83, who also has been the union’s chief negotiator.
The association won’t have to change nameplates, though. Sawyer will be replaced by his son, John H. Sawyer, 51, the association’s general counsel. His son also will assume the duties of chief negotiator.
The elder Sawyer recalled that when he started in 1960, no county buildings dominated the Santa Ana Civic Center as now. County supervisors met in the historic Old Courthouse.
At that time, the number of county employees was small. But as the county grew, so did the workers’ ranks. Of 16,000 county workers, about 7,000 are represented by the association. The association represents an additional 2,200 people employed in 19 cities and special districts.
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