Union: Oakland worker strike to end Sunday; mediation next
OAKLAND >> The city worker strike, which began Tuesday, will end Sunday, union leaders said Friday night.
The strike had reached a milestone Friday afternoon when the city alerted its largest union, SEIU Local 1021, it had declared an impasse, asking the negotiating team to join it in mediation. Despite initially refusing to recognize the declaration, Rob Szykowny, the SEIU’s chief negotiator, said Friday evening it would seek to enter mediation on Monday.
“We reached out to city negotiators to select a mutually agreeable mediator, despite the mayor’s decision to prematurely declare (an) impasse in negotiations,” Szykowny said. “But, city workers are committed to pursuing every avenue to ensure that Mayor (Libby) Schaaf addresses the challenges facing Oakland workers and families.”
Schaaf’s declaration came after the city amended its offer Thursday afternoon to include a 4 percent raise in the first year of the contract, another 1 percent raise guaranteed the second year and a 1 percent raise contingent upon the city hitting revenue milestones. The union, which refused the city’s offer, is seeking a 4 percent raise in both years of the contract.
At a news conference in the city’s emergency operations command center, Schaaf said Friday the city could not afford that deal.
“We cannot compromise our fiscal stability,” Schaaf told reporters. “For too long we’ve wracked up negative fund balances we’ve worked so hard over these last few years to bring down. We’ve been able to restore our credit rating.”
The city gave the union a choice: Join the city for formal mediation with the State Mediation and Conciliation Service, or request a fact-finding process, which can take months to complete. The union has the legal right to strike during either of these procedures. Schaaf said preparations are being made in the event of a long-term work stoppage, though that no longer appears imminent.
SEIU officials said they are ready to continue negotiating with the city for higher wages and improved working conditions.
“From homeless encampment abatement to stopping the abuse of temporary, parttime workers in our libraries, parks and recreation and senior centers, the city and the union have problems that have to be solved together,” Szykowny said.
Union members began gathering near City Hall, police department headquarters and the main library shortly before 8 a.m. Friday. By lunch, the unions began marching in the street outside City Hall, blocking traffic on Broadway and chanting “Rise up, shut it down, Oakland is a union town!”
The labor unions, SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21, announced Thursday afternoon they would stay off the job for another day after turning down a new offer by the city. The unions had reviewed the revised offer from City Council, but said it was not made in good faith, so they refused to call off the strike.
On Friday, the mayor called the city’s offer the “last, best and completely final offer.”
The proposal also includes an allocation of $500,000 to convert parttime library employees to civil staff positions, as well as three seats on the city’s safe streets and clean neighborhoods committee to “assist in addressing illegal dumping.”
The mayor stressed that some of the city’s lowest paid employees would see even higher raises.
About 3,000 city workers represented by the two unions have been on strike since Tuesday, and another 1,000 workers represented by the IBEW have honored the picket lines. The union contracts expired in July.