The two unions, which represent the city's technical and service workers, have been locked in contentious contract negotiations with the city for months.
The city is broke and has been for years. Do the unions care? Of course not. The unions are self-perpetuating predators that, to use old Marxist vernacular - “prey upon the life of the people!”
Thanks for the article. This underscores why Oakland needs new leadership and we should make our votes count in this election. All Oakland workers deserve a good standard of living and a great city. We need to increase the revenue of Oakland, the American System way. Increase real production and business. Then there is funding to cover all needs of our Oaklanders. That means Oakland tax payers are not ATM machines for the city. TIme to stop slicing up Oakland like a shrinking pie. Who get the last slice of a bankrupt budget? Grow our business and bring in new industries. Mindy Pechenuk for Oakland Mayor 2026
Mindy, thank you for your comments, here and on our other articles. I think you should know that while any and all engagement is appreciated, your comments on our articles have displayed a pattern of self-interested electioneering that undermines the points you are trying to make, in my opinion. Thank you again for commenting, and for reading Oakland Report. You and your views are appreciated, and we hope you continue to share them.
Sorry to disagree, Sean, but her “electioneering”“ is precisely what she should be doing, and doing it boldly and bravely. For her to simply mouth philosophical platitudes is a disservice to OR readers….You can leave that stuff to writers like me :)
Hi Rex, thank you for sharing your views. Please allow me to observe that your recent comments also have demonstrated a pattern of electioneering that undermines the points you are making, including valid ones that could stand on their own and let readers decide what to think and do with them. You are absolutely free and welcome to keep commenting that way, but you may also find it helpful to know how your comments have been received by this reader, at least. Thank you again for chiming in; you and your engagement are very much appreciated.
Sean, I get it, but it does raise the question of whether the Oakland Report is the hard news section of, let’s say The Wall Street Journal, which should be free of opinion and electioneering? Or is it the op-ed page? Or is it something in between??
Rex, thank you for your additional remarks. As you can see, Oakland Report has comments enabled on its articles where people are free to opine as they wish. It also periodically publishes Letters to the Editor columns, and occasionally publishes commentaries submitted by Oaklanders, in additional to the analyses and research it publishes in its main body of work. As to the substance of that work itself, people can read Oakland Report and decide for themselves what to think about it.
All this is to say, please do feel free to keep commenting here as much as you like. My point earlier in this thread is that including electioneering in all your comments undermines the other, valid points you are trying to make, in my opinion. But again, it's totally up to you to decide what and how to express yourself, and what you want to achieve in so doing.
Thank you again, the discussion is very much appreciated.
May I suggest a campaign approach that zeros in on FIVE specific things you would do the moment you’re elected as Oakland mayor. Mindy’s Five Solutions that every Oaklander can identify with, regardless of political persuasion. And all of which the other candidates are weak on…
Thank you for this article. I have some questions: Exactly how do technical and service workers perform their duties from home? I am puzzled… and why did Barbara Lee nix their return to offices after COVID, negating the City Council’s decision?
Regarding the 7% increase over 3 years that the unions called bogus, it is completely reasonable, as is the need for city workers to pay for part of their healthcare premiums. What’s not reasonable is to insist on working from home, especially in these types of jobs.
The city is broke and has been for years. Do the unions care? Of course not. The unions are self-perpetuating predators that, to use old Marxist vernacular - “prey upon the life of the people!”
Thanks for the article. This underscores why Oakland needs new leadership and we should make our votes count in this election. All Oakland workers deserve a good standard of living and a great city. We need to increase the revenue of Oakland, the American System way. Increase real production and business. Then there is funding to cover all needs of our Oaklanders. That means Oakland tax payers are not ATM machines for the city. TIme to stop slicing up Oakland like a shrinking pie. Who get the last slice of a bankrupt budget? Grow our business and bring in new industries. Mindy Pechenuk for Oakland Mayor 2026
Mindy, thank you for your comments, here and on our other articles. I think you should know that while any and all engagement is appreciated, your comments on our articles have displayed a pattern of self-interested electioneering that undermines the points you are trying to make, in my opinion. Thank you again for commenting, and for reading Oakland Report. You and your views are appreciated, and we hope you continue to share them.
Sorry to disagree, Sean, but her “electioneering”“ is precisely what she should be doing, and doing it boldly and bravely. For her to simply mouth philosophical platitudes is a disservice to OR readers….You can leave that stuff to writers like me :)
Hi Rex, thank you for sharing your views. Please allow me to observe that your recent comments also have demonstrated a pattern of electioneering that undermines the points you are making, including valid ones that could stand on their own and let readers decide what to think and do with them. You are absolutely free and welcome to keep commenting that way, but you may also find it helpful to know how your comments have been received by this reader, at least. Thank you again for chiming in; you and your engagement are very much appreciated.
Sean, I get it, but it does raise the question of whether the Oakland Report is the hard news section of, let’s say The Wall Street Journal, which should be free of opinion and electioneering? Or is it the op-ed page? Or is it something in between??
Rex, thank you for your additional remarks. As you can see, Oakland Report has comments enabled on its articles where people are free to opine as they wish. It also periodically publishes Letters to the Editor columns, and occasionally publishes commentaries submitted by Oaklanders, in additional to the analyses and research it publishes in its main body of work. As to the substance of that work itself, people can read Oakland Report and decide for themselves what to think about it.
All this is to say, please do feel free to keep commenting here as much as you like. My point earlier in this thread is that including electioneering in all your comments undermines the other, valid points you are trying to make, in my opinion. But again, it's totally up to you to decide what and how to express yourself, and what you want to achieve in so doing.
Thank you again, the discussion is very much appreciated.
Excellent presentation you had recently…
May I suggest a campaign approach that zeros in on FIVE specific things you would do the moment you’re elected as Oakland mayor. Mindy’s Five Solutions that every Oaklander can identify with, regardless of political persuasion. And all of which the other candidates are weak on…
Day One…
Thank you for this article. I have some questions: Exactly how do technical and service workers perform their duties from home? I am puzzled… and why did Barbara Lee nix their return to offices after COVID, negating the City Council’s decision?
Regarding the 7% increase over 3 years that the unions called bogus, it is completely reasonable, as is the need for city workers to pay for part of their healthcare premiums. What’s not reasonable is to insist on working from home, especially in these types of jobs.