FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contacts: 

Luke Thibault, lthibault@ifpte21.org, 760-534-9958

Chris Flink, flink@seiu1021.org, 510.701.9637

Oakland City Employees Rally to Condemn Administration’s Illegal Cuts to Public Services

Unions file PERB charge against the City of Oakland

(Oakland, CA) — On Tuesday, February 11, city workers who received layoff notices rallied in front of Oakland City Hall to highlight the harmful impacts that layoffs will have on public services. Some of the positions and services facing cuts include: recreation centers, illegal dumping, crime analysts, graffiti removal, and neighborhood watch.

Photos (no credit or attribution required): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1grNjK6O_QVmaNynDG65nEywf–3XGVVJ?usp=sharing

Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/SEIU1021/videos/638370102038740

Akilah Lesley is the recreation center director for West Oakland’s Willie Keyes Recreation Center (formerly Poplar). She received a layoff notice from the City of Oakland. She says,”Put a stop to these layoffs immediately.`Not only are you hurting the working people such as myself, you’re hurting the community, our families, our children, and you’re depriving them of services to help them thrive. If we take that away, a community of people will lose great opportunities and resources that we have to offer, and that they won’t be able to find elsewhere.”

“I am a 22 year employee and a resident of Oakland. I received my layoff notice,” said Jennifer Foster, an Administrative Analyst in the Police Department. “Make no mistake, this chaos and disregard for civil servants and the services we provide is directly reflective of the attack on federal employees and services. This process is not lawful or just. We provide important services, without them our community will be less safe.”

BACKGROUND:

On Monday, February 10, SEIU 1021 and IFPTE Local 21 filed a charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) alleging unfair labor practices by the City of Oakland. The charge outlines a series of unlawful actions in the City Administration’s rollout of layoff notices and cuts to vital services. The PERB filing seeks a resolution to protect the rights of workers and to protect the public services that are at risk of being drastically cut.

In a letter sent to the City Administration on Monday, February 10, City Unions outlined the lack of action to solve the fiscal problems facing the city. They write: “The chaotic leadership enacted by both the Finance Department and the administration has led us here. City workers and Oakland residents deserve better.”