Oakland Longshoremen Oppose Waterfront A's Stadium Deal

There's at least one group of Oakland locals who may stand in the way of the possibility of a waterfront ballpark for the Oakland Athletics.

The union representing longshoremen and maintenance workers at the Port of Oakland -- which is seeking to settle a lawsuit brought by one of its tenants -- is opposing a deal that could free up Howard Terminal for development, including a ballpark, according to the Oakland Tribune.

SSA Terminals has sued the Port of Oakland, which allegedly gave a competitor of the cargo company a better deal at different terminals. If the lawsuit settlement is accepted, SSA Terminals will be free of a lease on Howard Terminal.

Mayor Jean Quan supports the deal -- but the unions don't. Unions packed a meeting that would have seen the lawsuit approved, and a settlement has been delayed, the newspaper reported.

The settlement will next be revisited on July 11.

The Athletics are seeking a move to San Jose, which has been blocked by Major League Baseball, which views the South Bay as Giants territory. The A's may be at O.co Coliseum through 2018.

Oakland has flirted with the possibility of building a new ballpark along the waterfront near Jack London Square, which could be possible if there is Port land to develop.