Up to 3,000 Oakland city workers went on strike Tuesday morning to demand pay raises and protest what they say are unfair labor practices. Librarians, sewer workers, building inspectors and other city employees crowded the front of City Hall with picket signs. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says the strike is unlawful, since the city and the union are still undergoing negotiations. But Service Employees International Union Local 1021 says the strike is legal, since the contract expired at the end of June. Schaaf issued a statement saying Oakland offered a six-percent raise, but “cannot spend more than we can afford.” We’ll find out more about the dispute between the city and its employees.
Guests:
- John Sepulvado, host, KQED’s The California Report
- Robert Szykowny, chief negotiator, Service Employees International Union Local 1021
- Kimberly Veklerov, staff writer, San Francisco Chronicle