Oakland city employees will return to work Tuesday after a one-day strike, union officials said this evening.
Most city of Oakland services were stopped today because of the strike by city employees represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21.
"Today we took our struggle to the streets with a successful one-day strike intended to draw the public's attention to the city's inaction," said Pete Castelli, SEIU 1021's executive director and lead negotiator.
"We hope that the administration and Mayor Jean Quan got the message and will come to bargaining on July 9 ready to settle a fair, no-concessions contract that bolsters much-needed services and treats workers with respect," Castelli said.
Quan said Saturday that she and city negotiators met with union representatives on Friday and presented a proposal that included cost-of-living increases.
The unions declined the city's offer to continue talks over the weekend, Quan said.
Castelli said in a statement today that Quan's account is "simply untrue."
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He said "nothing of substance" was put on the table by the city on Wednesday and Thursday during bargaining sessions. He called Quan's offer to bargain through the weekend "disingenuous," intended to mask "three months of bad faith bargaining."
City negotiators are scheduled to meet with IFPTE Local 21 this coming Friday and with SEIU Local 1021 on July 9, according to City of Oakland spokeswoman Karen Boyd.
