Oakland Recap provides summaries of public meeting proceedings that catch our attention. In this installment, we review the comments made by members of city union International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21 at this morning’s city council special budget meeting.
‘I stood in a photo with you before I knocked doors for Measure E on Saturday.’
City Council special budget meeting, June 1, 2026.1
This morning, representatives from city public employee union IFPTE Local 21 demanded that the city deliver promised pay raises, abandon proposed benefit changes, fill vacant positions (around 25 percent of IFPTE-represented positions are vacant), and agree to the union’s proposed extension of telework policies.
The union members also demanded that the city convert sworn police positions to ‘civilianized’ roles that would be filled by IFPTE union members.
Over a series of comments, IFPTE union members reminded the city council of their union’s support for Measure E.
IFPTE has donated over $120,000 to the Yes on E campaign, and its members have assisted with campaign rallies and door-to-door canvassing efforts.
“Mayor Lee, council member Wang, council member Ramachandran, I stood in a photo with you before I knocked doors for Measure E on Saturday. Will you stand in actual solidarity with us now, with your workforce?
“To the other council members who have received support, endorsement from the city's unions, will you stand in solidarity with us? Your actions are what matter now.”
— Elliot Goodrich, city transportation engineer and IFPTE Local 21 member, June 1, 2026
“Labor organizations have worked really hard to help elect many of the people sitting around in this room.”
IFTPE union members also reminded the mayor and council members of the union’s past political support for their election campaigns.
“Many of you have described yourselves as labor-friendly leaders, and labor organizations have worked really hard to help elect many of the people sitting around in this room.
“We're asking you to demonstrate that commitment by standing with the workers who keep this city functioning every single day.
“I'm asking council to direct the city's bargaining team back to the table with a serious commitment to retaining workers and reaching a fair agreement.”
— Noel Pond-Danchik, transportation planner and IFPTE chapter membership director
“Whispers of the S-word: strike”
One of the union members issued a warning that the union is so disgruntled about the city’s negotiations over the upcoming union contract renewal, that there are “whispers” of a union strike.
“As of late last week, the city administration's bargaining team has requested that Oakland city workers not only receive no cost of living adjustment, as well as reduced health care, pension and other benefits.
“They have rejected our telework proposal, which is a no-cost proposal. At the very least, they should be able to accept something that's no cost.
“We were asked to work for less and with less. The administration has offered these takeaways to most bargaining units and people are so upset, all I've heard is whispers of the S-word, strike.
This is not a threat.”
— Cody Meschinger, construction engineer and IFPTE chapter vice president, June 1, 2026
A video of the union members’ comments appears at the top of this article. A link to the full video of the city council special budget meeting is available in endnote 1.
City of Oakland. “FY 2026-27 Mayor’s Proposed Midcycle Budget.” City Council special budget meeting video, June 1, 2026. https://oakland.granicus.com/player/clip/7538
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