Union for 3,500 workers reach tentative agreement with Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The city of Oakland has reached a tentative agreement on a new two-year contract with the union that represents 1,000 of its full-time workers and 2,500 of its part-time employees, union officials said.

The agreement was reached early Tuesday morning after five months of bargaining, according to officials with Service Employees International Union Local 1021.

The union said its Oakland chapter represents more than 1,000 full-time and 2,500 part-time workers, including street and parks maintenance workers, Oakland Police Department civilian employees, librarian assistants, housing inspectors, food service workers and educators for at-risk youth.

"We are glad we came to an agreement after many long days of tense, around the clock negotiations," Al Marshall, the president of SEIU Local 1021's Oakland chapter, said in a statement.

"This agreement will continue to give Oakland residents a high level of service while also recognizing the value of its workforce," Marshall said.

Marshall said the agreement is a first step to bring public services back to pre-recession levels but doesn't accomplish a full financial recovery for employees who he said sacrificed wages and benefits since the economy slowed down in 2008.

SEIU Local 1021 officials said they won't release the contract's details until after their members vote on it.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other city officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment on the tentative agreement.