Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf calls city worker strike 'unlawful'
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Striking Oakland city workers staged a picket line Tuesday outside a downtown law firm where Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was holding a fundraiser for the reelection campaign.
RELATED: Oakland city employees to strike for 2nd day
"She is up there with her developer cronies taking money when we wanted to bargain with her to prevent this strike," said Oakland City worker, Shawn Thurston.
About 3,000 Oakland city workers went on strike Tuesday over pay and labor practices after bargaining talks for a new contract broke down.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Schaaf called the strike unlawful.
"Both sides would agree we have not reached an impasse, I wish we were at the bargaining table instead of dealing with the effects of this strike," said Mayor Schaaf.
The strike shut down most non-emergency city services like recreation centers, libraries, and building inspections.
The largest union SEIU Local 1023 has been without a contract since June.
While the city is offering a 4 percent wage increase this year what happens after that is uncertain.
"The cost-of-living in the Bay Area is increasing we just won our fair share," said Thurston.
Workers say they will return to the picket line Wednesday morning, until the city agrees to return to the bargaining table.
Programs and facilities that will be closed include:
Head Start and Early Head Start sites
Senior Centers
Public libraries
Recreation centers and programs, including after-school programs
Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP): No case management services for frail seniors except for scheduled home visits
No brown bag food distribution
Civic Center buildings: City Hall, 150 and 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza:
Parking Citation Assistance Center closed
Housing Assistance Center closed
No sale of paratransit taxi/bus vouchers
No fire inspections
No Fire Department plan checking and permits
No building inspections
Business Tax License closed
Business Assistance Center closed
Planning & Building Permit Counter closed
Other services that will be unavailable include:
No parking enforcement
No street sweeping
No public restrooms at City facilities
No routine maintenance work
No abandoned auto detail
No crime or traffic reports
For towed vehicles, OPD will provide a vehicle release form at the Police Administration Building, 455 7th Street, 1st floor, Records window.
Oakland's animal shelter will provide limited services during the strike: The Oakland Animal Shelter (OAS) will be open during regular hours for owners looking to reclaim their lost animals and for members of the public who must bring in stray or surrendered animals.
Routine services such as adoptions and licensing will not occur.
Partner agencies will transfer animals from OAS' care so that they may be adopted through alternate channels.
Volunteers will assist management to care for the animals in the shelter.
Calls for emergency response on animal-related matters should be directed to OPD.
Calls for routine services including dead animal pickup, strays, and other non-emergency calls will be delayed for the duration of the strike.
Some services will remain available, including:
Pay a parking citation
Report and track non-emergency problems, such as graffiti, illegal dumping or potholes
Report non-emergency crimes
Renew a residential parking permit
Pay a delinquent garbage bill
Download agenda reports and legislative actions of the City Council
Register for a City of Oakland dog license
Register for Parks and Recreation activities and classes
Review the library's Online Catalog and web-based services
