The Hayward City Council’s decision in 2014 to place an across the board 5 percent wage cut on over 300 of its city employees, roiled the labor movement and for years poisoned the relationship between City Hall and its workers…. Read More ›
labor
EBC AGENDA | OCT 27-NOV 5 | OAKLAND’s 918-unit Oak Knoll project faces scrutiny; HAYWARD to greenlight cannabis rules; BERKELEY defines ‘use of force’
THE WEEK OF OCT. 27-NOV. 5 –OAKLAND– Special Community & Economic Development Committee meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]–918-UNIT OAK KNOLL DEVELOPMENT– “The Applicant [SunCal] is requesting planning-related permits including a General Plan Amendment, Rezoning, and other… Read More ›
ALAMEDA CITY COUNCiL PREVIEW: A tipping point for Alameda’s future
Clockwise from left: Alameda Councilmembers Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft and Tony Daysog; Lena Tam, Malia Vella, and Jennifer Roloff are seeking two open seats this November. MEET THE CANDIDATESThis five-person race is led by the incumbents. Councilmember MARILYN EZZY ASHCRAFT was easily… Read More ›
HAYWARD COUNCIL PREVIEW: Three incumbents, one former member poised for a return to office
Hayward City Council candidates (pictured clockwise): Councilmember Al Mendall, Matt McGrath, Councilmember Elisa Marquez, Mark Salinas, and Councilmember Francisco Zermeno. MEET THE CANDIDATES Every four years in Hayward, voters have the unique opportunity to alter a majority of their city… Read More ›
UFCW drops $10,000 on Nate Miley; IE supporting him formed by nonagenarian
Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said to an audience earlier this month, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” ALCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS | DISTRICT 4 |With less than two weeks until Election Day, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley is… Read More ›
First-time Hayward council candidate Matt McGrath is attracting attention
Hayward council candidate Matt McGrath retired as a Hayward department head in 2014. HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL | Hayward has a dearth of prospective candidates at all segments of its city government, but one may have been hiding all these years… Read More ›
City Hall Insider: agenda notes from around the East Bay: Nov. 3
HAYWARD/Nov. 3, 7 p.m.The Quiet War with labor continues CAMPAIGN FINANCE ORDINANCEA truce over the war between city employees and the Hayward City Council, starting in 2013, was technically settled earlier this year when both sides agreed to a new… Read More ›
Nurses’ union endorsement brings adrenaline shot to Swanson’s campaign
Cowboy up! Swanson picked up support Monday from the powerful California Nurses Association. STATE SENATE | DISTRICT 9 | The California Nurses Association’s political support is similar to the level of care a patient might experience in the hospital. If… Read More ›
LISTEN! East Bay Citizen Show with special guest Hayward Councilman Francisco Zermeno
//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/3784581/height/225/width/450/theme/legacy/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/ Hayward Councilmember Francisco Zermeno EPISODE 6 | Hayward Councilmember Francisco Zermeno is a collector of things, not to mention two terms on the Hayward City Council. But he also boasts more than 8,000 pieces of Spiderman memorabilia and the… Read More ›
Alameda County Dems Endorse Tam Over Incumbent BART Director Raburn
Lena Tam ALAMEDA COUNTY | DEMOCRATS | BART Board of Director Robert Raburn often eschews driving automobiles for public transportation and his bicycle. But, when it comes to endorsing his re-election to the board following the divisive BART strike of… Read More ›
A’s Agree to Pay Back $266,000 in Wage Theft to Clubhouse Workers
LABOR | OAKLAND | The Oakland Athletics agreed to pay 86 current and former low-wage employees over $266,000 in wages it stiffed clubhouse workers and interns, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The Athletics, like the San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins before… Read More ›
Labor’s Tacit Support for Joel Young may have Cleared AC Transit Field
A graphic from 2012 contemplated Joel Young’s next move. It may be another four years at AC Transit. AC TRANSIT | AT-LARGE | The re-election of At-Large AC Transit board member Joel Young received a significant boost when two potential… Read More ›
Lamnin Leapfrogs Peixoto to Top Hayward Council Race; Both Win Seats
Sara Lamnin HAYWARD | CITY COUNCIL | Community leader Sara Lamnin is now the top vote-getter in Hayward’s City Council election after an update by the Alameda County registrar. Two spots on the council were available to the top two… Read More ›
Amid Scandal, A Conversation Changed in the 17th Congressional District
Hayward Mayoral Candidates Face Labor | Mr. Know-It-All | Guillen is a Lock | Forum Schedule CHAPTER 9 | Sometimes all a campaign needs is a little luck. Just as pressure was renewed for Rep. Mike Honda to debate his… Read More ›
United Farm Workers Endorse Hayashi for State Senate
CAMPAIGN 2014 | STATE SENATE | 10TH DISRICT | A few weeks back, former East Bay Assemblymember Mary Hayashi burnished her strong ties to labor when addressing a large group of county Democratic leaders. On Tuesday, Hayashi began delivering on… Read More ›
Hayward’s Lingering Labor Dispute Is Really About A Lack Of Leadership
Hayward City Council, left to right, Mark Salinas, Francisco Zermeno, Mayor Michael Sweeney, Al Mendal, Barbara Halliday, Greg Jones, Marvin Peixoto. HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL//LABOR/ANALYSIS | To the casual observer the continuing labor strife between Hayward and its city employees might… Read More ›
Legislators On BART Strike: ‘The Time Is Now To Start The Healing’
LEGISLATURE//BART STRIKE | Citing progress between strike BART unions and management, in addition to the weekend’s tragic death of two BART employees, the entire East Bay legislative caucus is calling for an agreement tonight that would end the latest four-day labor… Read More ›
Labor Negotiators For Hayward City Employees Accuse City Of Threatening Layoffs
HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL//LABOR | A three-day strike by Hayward city employees last month did nothing to persuade city officials to return to the bargaining table, while union negotiators accused the city of threatening layoffs if their demands for wage cuts… Read More ›
Prola Says He’s Not In The Mix For San Leandro Mayor
Councilmember Jim Prola SAN LEANDRO//2014 ELECTION/MAYOR | San Leandro’s most liberal city councilman says he is not interested in running for mayor next year. However, if the city’s notorious Mayor Stephen Cassidy upsets him, he might change his mind. “I… Read More ›
Hayward City Employees Prepare For Three-Day Strike
Striking Hayward city employees set to picket in front of Hayward City Hall starting Tuesday. HAYWARD//STRIKE | In Hayward, the confluence of an uncompromising city manager, a complacent City Council and city employees hoping for relief following three years of… Read More ›
Ms. Santana, The Writing Is On The Wall
OAKLAND | Oakland City Administrator Deanna Santana never looks happy. If the sheer weight of Oakland’s problems perpetually on her shoulders wasn’t enough, her own job security now seems perilous. Matthew Artz’s article Friday shows the discontent from labor and… Read More ›
East Bay Assembly Trio Criticize BART For Faulty Wage Numbers
ASSEMBLY//BART STRIKE | East Bay Assemblymembers Rob Bonta, Nancy Skinner and Bill Quirk were critical of BART management for misstating the true average wages of train operators and station agents. During testimony Wednesday before the Board of Inquiry ordered by… Read More ›
Nearly 90% Of Bonta, Quirk’s Donors This Year Are Unions, Special Interests
Asms. Rob Bonta and Bill Quirk. ASSEMBLY//CAMPAIGN FINANCE | East Bay Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Bill Quirk both won election to the Legislature last year. While Bonta quickly moved to the top tier of Democratic legislators in the lower house, Quirk… Read More ›
Corporate Media’s Plot To Demonize Striking BART Workers
The ABC owned and operated KGO-TV opened its 11 p.m. newscast last Sunday with anchor Dan Ashley oohing and ahhing and gesticulating over how horrendous Monday morning’s commute might be following the breakdown of negotiations between BART and its workers. Turn the… Read More ›
Don’t Blame Striking Workers, Blame MTC
SUNDAY COLUMN | How about blaming the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on Monday morning when your car is sitting in traffic, instead of workers? Oh, you don’t know what or who MTC is? That’s exactly how they like it. Starting on… Read More ›
Oakland Passes A Two-Year Budget Shaded Toward Public Safety
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL//BUDGET | A two-year budget including increased funding for public safety was passed by the Oakland City Council late Thursday. The “all-in” budget compromise backed by Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan, Dan Kalb and Lynette Gibson McElhaney was approved, 5-3,… Read More ›
NLRB Sides With Oakland Airport Workers Harrassed For Union Activities
OAKLAND AIRPORT//LABOR | The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found that multiple restaurants at Oakland International Airport violated federal labor laws, including firing employees for trying to organize a union, interrogating workers about union activities, and cutting the hours… Read More ›
Despite Ruling, Oakland Close To Lease With Controversial Army Base Contractor
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL//ARMY BASE | Oakland may be close to finding a new home for a controversial city contractor as it moves quickly to clear the Oakland Army Base for a massive redevelopment slated to begin in the fall. However,… Read More ›
Former Hayward School District CFO In Line To Be Its Next Superintendent
HAYWARD//EDUCATION | The Hayward Unified School District’s recently departed former chief financial officer may be a front runner for its vacant superintendent’s job and could be named interim as early as this Saturday, sources tell The Citizen. Stan Dobbs, who resigned… Read More ›
Some Oakland Airport Food Chains Resist Living Wage Law
OAKLAND AIRPORT//LABOR | Earlier this year, investigators for the Port of Oakland determined that some businesses at Oakland International Airport had violated the port’s living wage ordinance and had retaliated against employees who had complained. However, as of last week,… Read More ›