Thousands of city workers in Oakland, California will strike for a third day Thursday after the city council’s efforts to forge a deal failed to produce. Each side will return to the bargaining table today to try to hammer out a new agreement on city pay and working conditions.
The public employee unions want a four percent raise over two years, with a cumulative effect of 8 percent. The city says that’s not possible.
“Our analysis concludes that acceptance of that deal could lead to the elimination of 188 full time positions in the city of Oakland, have devastating service impacts to our residents, as well as real impacts to the workers who could potentially lose their jobs,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. She noted that pension costs for the city are expected increase 49 percent over the next five years.
The absence of some 3,000 city workers has brought city services to a standstill. Head Start, after-school programs, senior programs, and libraries will remain closed today as a result of their hiatus.
Read more about the strike at the East Bay Times.