Oakland City Unions Respond to Layoff Notices, Unite Against Service Cuts

A statement from SEIU Local 1021, IFPTE Local 21, IBEW Local 1245, and IAFF Local 55

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, January 30, layoff notices were distributed by the Oakland City Administration to city workers who provide a wide range of essential services to residents. Layoff notices have been issued to police service technicians, environmental enforcement officers, crime analysts, and many more. We are deeply concerned about the impact this could have on the employees whose jobs are at risk, their families, and the residents who depend on us.

City workers are the backbone of this city, and laying us off will hurt services that residents rely on. Staff are already stretched to the limit, and this will only stretch us even thinner. Layoffs must be avoided and should only be a last resort.

This is the direct result of the City Administration's failure to responsibly manage the budget. For months, our coalition has been sounding the alarm and advocating for alternative solutions only to be ignored by the City Administration. Before the City moves forward with service cuts, we are demanding that the Administration:

• Collect all the business taxes that the City is owed
• Reduce the large number of highly paid top executives
• Address the Police Department's out of control unbudgeted overspending

Antoinette Blue is a 911 emergency dispatcher who serves as the president of SEIU 1021's City of Oakland chapter. She said, "The administration's failure to manage the budget isn't something that should be landing on the backs of city workers and community members. Knowing how mid- and top-heavy the organization is, does it make sense for the city administrator to have three assistants when they are laying off members of public works who directly serve the community? Looking at the range of positions throughout the city that have gotten layoff notices, it's clear the impact to the community was not considered. We are going to continue to fight to make sure Oakland residents receive the services they deserve."

Joy Ho, an Administrative Analyst II in the Housing and Community Development Department who received a layoff notice this week. She is a member of IFPTE Local 21 and a lifelong Oakland resident: "I work in housing because I care about this city—my home—and the people who live here. Oakland has a housing crisis, and I work every day to ensure that our housing programs run smoothly and make a real difference. The City Administration needs to be held accountable for their budget mismanagement. I didn't choose this work for a paycheck, I chose it to serve my neighbors. I'm not ready to stop, and neither should the city be ready to make these cuts."

SOURCE IFPTE Local 21