City Government

Fund Begun to Help Oaklanders Get Jobs at Army Base

Published

12 years ago

April 25, 2014

Community groups and leaders have come together to support local workers who have been trying for several years to fill the jobs that have been promised with so much fanfare at the Oakland Army Base development project.

Seeking to help job seekers overcome barriers to employment, the Oakland Post has taken the initiative to set up a worker assistance fund to help job seekers pay for work equipment and other fees. Supporting the fund are Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, the West Oakland Job Resource Center, the Urban Strategies Council and City Administrator Fred Blackwell.

The fund is kicking off by providing support for four workers, who have years of experience in the building and construction trades but have struggled to pay for work equipment and cover union fees, which could allow them to qualify for union jobs on the Army Base.

So far, the four have not made much headway in either of the two job pathways – going through a local union or sponsorship by a company. A letter of sponsorship from one of the companies working on the development would give these local job seekers two years of permanent employment, says Fernander Thompson, an Oakland resident who has devoted his efforts to getting hired on the Army Base since 2012.

Fernander Thompson

Thompson, along with Jeffery Duckett, Johnny Evans, and Otis Duckett, have worked temporary warehouse jobs for the past three years to make ends meet.

Still, they remain hopeful that with the necessary resources and a sponsor, they will finally get a chance to put their skills to work on the Army Base.

“We’ve been waiting,” says Duckett. “I want to get into the Army Base like everybody else is getting in there. I’m ready to work; we just haven’t had the opportunity.”

These four workers, like so many others, do not lack training. With many years in warehousing, construction, landscaping, and welding, they are highly experienced. In addition, they have worked closely with the West Oakland Job Resource Center to enhance their skills with workshop trainings and apprenticeship programs.

They, like many other job seekers in West Oakland, are counting on the promise of Army Base jobs for local residents.

“West Oakland was particularly impacted by the loss of jobs with the close of the Army Base. It’s really critical that West Oakland residents are empowered to receive the jobs that are returning to the base,” says Brigitte Cook, West Oakland Community Liaison with Councilmember Lynette McElhaney’s office.

“The job center is working to get residents to apply and be qualified for these positions. We’re tracking the number of residents, particularly in the 94607 and 94608 areas, to see how successful our outreach is and make sure our efforts are going to encourage West Oakland residents to apply for those positions,” Cook continued.

Andreas Cluver, Secretary-Treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County, encourages job seekers looking to get into construction to first go through pre-apprenticeship programs.

“[Construction] is a difficult industry to get into, but pre-apprenticeship programs are so essential. Their chances of success are going to be much higher,” Cluver said.

As far as funding, Cluver adds, “The city should continue funding these programs to ensure that [job seekers] have access to the services they need. That really needs to be coming from public sources.”

The promised worker support funding that was meant to be part of the West Oakland Job Resource Center has not materialized. That money was supposed to come form revenue from billboards, which have not been built.

Duckett, Thompson, Evans, and Duckett have already received contributions towards their work equipment but are still looking for donors to cover their union dues, and are seeking a company sponsor. They have committed to reimburse the funds paid after they find permanent employment so that job seekers after them can also receive the benefits.

The Post will be following this story and tracking the progress of these four men and their journey to employment.

For more information on how to make a contribution, call the Oakland Post at (510) 287-8207.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

3 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

1 week ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

1 week ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.