Oakland

Oakland Educators Authorize Strike

February 5, 2019 By Julian Peeples, Californiaeducator.org Resist! Class Struggle, Oakland, Strikes, Teachers

Oakland educators are ready to walk off the job and onto the picket line to fight for smaller class sizes, more student support and a living wage, following a strike authorization vote that saw a whopping 95 percent of Oakland teachers vote to strike if necessary and 84 percent of members casting ballots. The announcement came Monday afternoon after a fruitless, two-day fact-finding meeting last week, during which Oakland Education Association (OEA) called Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) management of Oakland public schools “educational malpractice.” The vote allows OEA leaders to call a strike, if necessary...

Teachers In Denver, Oakland And Chicago Move Toward Strikes, Others Protest

January 28, 2019 Samantha Winslow and Dan DiMaggio, Labornotes.org Resist! Chicago, Class Struggle, Denver, New Economy, Oakland, Protests, Strikes, Teachers

Who will pay for a 5 percent raise, smaller classes, and more nurses, librarians, and counselors for the Chicago public schools? “Rich people,” Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Gates told the press. Their contract expires in June. Meanwhile, fresh off the first charter school strike in history, the union set a February 5 strike date at another Chicago charter network. Five hundred CTU members in the Acero charter network struck for a week in December, winning smaller classes and salary increases that align them with their counterparts in the Chicago Public Schools. Four schools in the Chicago International Charter School network could be next.

Oakland Takes Step Toward Public Bank With Unanimous Committee Vote

September 14, 2018 Staff, Publicbankinginstitute.org Create! New Economy, Oakland, Public Banking

The City of Oakland's Finance Committee accepted the Public Bank Feasibility Study and staff report, and recommended placing it on the full City Council's agenda so that all Councilors may have an opportunity to discuss the report and options. Watch as banking experts, elected officials, and advocates alike give overwhelming support for Oakland’s public bank: VIDEO (note: link takes a bit of time to load). The feasibility study author, a banking expert, and stake holders from the community spoke in support of moving forward with a full business plan to answer the questions that were not addressed in the study.

Massive Cookout Thrown In Park Where Cops Were Called On Black Family BBQ

May 14, 2018 Nina Golgowski, Huffingtonpost.com Resist! Oakland, Protests, Racism

The celebration followed an April 29 incident in which a woman ordered a black family grilling along the waterfront to pack up and leave because their charcoal grill was in a grilling area where charcoal wasn’t allowed. After the family refused to leave, the woman called the police and later accused one woman at the park of harassing her, video shows. Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney was one of many who decried the incident as blatant racism. “Police are not private security for any white person that’s offended by the presence of black folks in our public spaces,” she told HuffPost. Police did not cite the family that was grilling, though they were detained and questioned for an hour over the incident, McElhaney said. This is only one of the latest public examples of the cops being called on black people doing everyday things.

Oakland Passes “Strongest” Surveillance Oversight Law In US

May 4, 2018 Cyrus Farivar, Arstechnica.com Create! Deportations, ICE, Legislation, Oakland, Surveillance

OAKLAND, Calif.—Late Tuesday evening, the Oakland City Council formally approved a new city ordinance that imposes community control over the use of surveillance technology in the city. Oakland is now one of a number of California cities, including Berkeley and Davis, that mandates a formal annual report that details "how the surveillance technology was used," among other requirements. In the wake of Oakland’s 2013 efforts to approve federal grant money to construct a "Domain Awareness Center," the city has now also created a "Privacy Advisory Commission," or PAC. This body, composed of volunteer commissioners from each city council district, acts as a privacy check on the city when any municipal entity (typically the police department) wants to acquire a technology that may impinge on individual privacy.

How Public Banks Can Fund Renewable Energy

October 12, 2017 Staff of Public Banking Institute, www.publicbankinginstitute.org Create! New Economy, Oakland, Public Banks, Renewable Energy

By Staff of Public Banking Institute - September 25, Friends of Public Bank of Oakland organized a public forum to hear Wolfram Morales of the German Sparkasse (East German Savings Bank Association) explain how Public Banking works in his country to fund renewable energy development. The East Bay Times as well as Oakland North covered the event and connected it to how Public Banks here could do the same thing in the US that Sparkasse do in Germany: offer low-interest rates to companies providing solar and wind resources, driving development. "Though public banks are a fixture in Europe, the only one that exists in the United States is the Bank of North Dakota, Morales said. There are more than 600 in Germany, most of which are county-level, putting billions into renewable energy development. Those banks are able to offer interest rates as low as 1 percent on loans, which is much lower than what commercial banks offer. "Speakers at the forum talked about how a public bank can help give the community more control over its energy sources."

Grassroots Organizing Leads To Success In Oakland

September 27, 2017 Staff, www.publicbankinginstitute.org Create! Grassroots, New Economy, Oakland

By Staff of Public Banking Institution - Last Tuesday ,Oakland City Council approved the $100,000 feasibility study for the Public Bank of Oakland, putting that city on track to create its own Public Bank. The city of Berkeley promised $25,000 toward the cost of the study and the city of Richmond and County of Alameda are likely to contribute as well, along with several private donors, making this a multi-city and community investment. This large step toward Oakland becoming independent of Wall Street — and toward our PBI goal of five public banks by 2020 — was taken thanks to tireless work by grassroots organization Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland, led by Susan Harman. Harman reminded the City Council before the vote, "We have slain all the dragons you've asked us to kill. Support the study now." Their advocacy work brought the support of Oakland Council members Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan as well as Mayor of Berkeley Jesse Arrequin. The approved study is scheduled to take ten weeks.

Noose Discovery At Port Of Oakland Prompts Longshoremen Walk-Out

May 29, 2017 Harry Harris, www.eastbaytimes.com Resist! Oakland, Protests, Workers Rights and Jobs

By HARRY HARRIS for OAKLAND — Operations at one of the Port of Oakland’s largest terminals were suspended for several hours Thursday when longshoremen walked off the job in response to nooses found on the property in recent weeks. They returned to work Thursday afternoon after negotiations and normal operations resumed, officials said. The longshoremen at the Oakland International Container Terminal left about 9 a.m., an hour after they had started for the day, under the order of union officials, officials said. By late morning, about 100 union longshoremen at the terminal, 1717 Middle Harbor Road, were on standby waiting to hear if they would return to work. Container trucks were backed up all around the port and on Interstate 880. Officials with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union were working to obtain surveillance tape that could reveal who is responsible for the nooses. Arbitration on whether the union members will get paid for their time during the walkout was under way.

Oakland Passes Public Banking Resolution, Reaffirmed As Sanctuary City

December 1, 2016 Sheng Thao, www.cowboysonthecommons.org Create! Immigrant Rights, Immigration, Oakland, Public Banking, Sanctuary Cities

By Sheng Thao for Cowboys On The Commons - The Resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Kaplan, Kalb, and Guillen, directs the City Administrator to look into the scope and cost of conducting a feasibility study for public banking in Oakland and possibly the larger region. It also directs City Staff to solicit input from community stakeholders about the feasibility study, including suggestions of potential contractors and funding sources; and makes it clear that the study should cover the legality and feasibility of banking the cannabis industry. The Resolution generated support from Councilmembers and community members alike.

Oakland Just Voted To Explore Public Banking

November 18, 2016 Shara Smith, www.publicbankinginstitute.org Create! Oakland, Public Banking

By Shara Smith for Public Banking Institute - In response to long-term economic instability and disappointment with the mainstream banking system, the Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to investigate a public banking feasibility study funded by money left over from the Goldman Sachs Debarment Proceedings. The resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Kaplan, Kalb, and Guillen, also directs city staff to solicit input from community stakeholders about the feasibility study, including suggestions of potential contractors and funding sources.

Freedom Now Demonstrators Shut Down Oakland Police Officers’ Association

July 30, 2016 Resist! Oakland, Police, Protest Demonstrations

By Dave Id for Indy Bay - Following the recent wave of demonstrations nationwide after the police murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, a call went out for Freedom Now protests on July 21 targeting the support infrastructure for police oppression, especially police "unions" for their constant and unequivocal defense of cops accused of brutality. In Oakland, the offices of the Oakland Police Officer's Association were shut down. On July 20, a day early, Black Lives Matter activists in New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago shut down the offices of their local police associations. Lockdowns and demonstrations were held in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and other cities across the country.

People Power Kills Coal In Oakland And Likely Kills An Export Terminal

June 29, 2016 Erin Baldassari, www.mercurynews.com Resist! Coal, Export Terminals, Oakland

By Erin Baldassari for The Mercury News - OAKLAND -- During a raucous four-hour meeting Monday night, the Oakland City Council voted unanimously to ban the storage and handling of coal and petroleum coke in the city. Councilmember Desley Brooks was absent from the meeting. Hundreds of people filled the council chambers, spilling into overflow rooms, and offered several hours of commentary frequently punctuated by cheers, applause and outbursts from audience members on both sides of the issue.

Oakland Green Lights Drug War Reparations

May 19, 2016 David Downs, www.m.eastbayexpress.com Create! Drug War, Legislation, Marijuana, Oakland, Reparations

By David Downs for East Bay Express - Oaklanders who’ve been jailed for pot in the last ten years will go to the front of the line for legal weed permits under a revolutionary new program enacted by the City Council Tuesday night. The first-in-the-nation idea promises to make international headlines, and redefine the terms of reparations in post-Drug War America. Council voted unanimously to pass the historic “Equity Permit Program,” which bucks national trends in legal pot policy. Normally, convicted drug felons are barred from entering the legal cannabis trade. Instead, Oakland will reward them.

Urban Farming Of Acta Non Verba Invests in the Future

October 27, 2015 Sarah Small, www.foodtank.com Create! Food and Agriculture, Oakland, Urban Farming

By Sarah Small for Food Tank - The Acta Non Verba Youth Urban Farm Project is investing in the health and future of their community. Educators use the farm as their classroom to engage the underserved parts of the Oakland, California, community with fresh produce and to provide low-income residents with the knowledge and skills to grow and sell their own organic food. Their programs provide the seeds to build healthy habits and sustainable lives starting at an early age. Food Tank had the opportunity to speak with Amani Ali, Office Manager at Acta Non Verba Youth Urban Farm Project.

Banking On Coal In Oakland

August 20, 2015 Darwin Bond Graham, www.eastbayexpress.com Educate! Coal, Finance and the Economy, Oakland

By Darwin Bond Graham in East Bay Express - Last April, when plans to ship coal through the old Oakland Army Base became public, Phil Tagami, the master developer of the base, came under fire from local officials and community groups. Tagami, however, downplayed the news, claiming that coal is only one of many goods that might be shipped through a new maritime bulk terminal that he's building on the base. He also said in statements to the press that a $53 million investment that four Utah counties hope to make in the marine terminal would allow these counties to ship potash, hay, salt, and other Utah goods, perhaps including coal, through the facility. But emails, contracts, and reports reviewed by the Express show that the proposed investment in the bulk marine terminal by the Utah counties is, in fact, driven by a secretive Kentucky-based coal company, Bowie Resource Partners, that wants to massively expand its coal mining operations in Utah.

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