Oakland Workers' New Union Contracts Approved

Oakland City Workers' New Union Contracts Approved

On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council approved new labor agreements with several unions that represent thousands of city workers. The council voted 7-0 to sign the agreements with the Confidential Management Employees Association, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, and the Service Employees International Union Local 1021. Councilmember Ken Houston was excused from the meeting and did not cast a vote.

The contracts cover the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. At a high level, they guarantee several key benefits for city employees:

• Full-time employees will receive a one-time signing bonus of $3,000.
• Permanent part-timers will get a $2,500 bonus.
• SEIU and certain unrepresented employees will receive a $1,500 bonus. This applies to temporary part-time workers who were paid for 480 hours or more between September 2024 and September 2025. Those who worked 20 to 479 hours during the same period will receive $750.
• City workers may also be eligible for a raise ranging from 0.05% to 3%, depending on whether Oakland collects more revenue than planned by the end of the fiscal year.

The agreements also increase the number of days the city must notify some unions in advance of any potential layoff plans. Additionally, the new deals protect the right of workers to telecommute under certain conditions.

Two unions made side letter agreements with the city. These side letters address concerns that are not central to negotiations around employment conditions, wages, and benefits. In a letter with SEIU, Oakland agreed to establish guidelines for employees to follow in the event of federal immigration enforcement in the workplace. The city will provide training to staff and initially prioritize workers who provide direct services to the public.

Officials have also agreed to meet and confer with IFPTE Local 21 representatives to discuss the union’s proposal to civilianize some OPD roles. The city’s agreement with the Oakland Police Officers Association, which represents police officers, does not expire until next year.

City Administrator Jestin Johnson thanked the city’s unions at Tuesday’s meeting. In a statement, SEIU chapter president Antoinette Blue expressed gratitude for her union’s bargaining team and union members who voted for the agreement. “Without you all, none of this would have been possible,” Blue said. “We have made some strong progress [with] this contract, and over the next year, we have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to get ourselves organized and prepared to win even bigger next time.”

The agreements come after months of uncertainty regarding how the city’s budget might affect city workers. In January, the City Administrator announced that Oakland would lay off nearly 100 workers to balance the city’s budget. Within weeks, though, the city scaled back the number of employees being let go. The budget approved by the City Council in early June slashed scores of vacant staff positions, including some high-up roles. But the small number of planned layoffs was removed at the last minute.

The city has reported that the cost of the new labor agreements for this fiscal year is about $10.2 million, which according to the legislation is covered by unanticipated revenue from the real estate transfer tax. There may be additional costs if the city exceeds its budgeted revenue for the year. However, this seems unlikely. Earlier this year, city staff projected that Oakland will face significant revenue shortfalls through 2030.