Activism

Teachers and Port of Oakland Workers Strike Friday Against School Closures and Billionaire Fisher’s Port Deal

The Oakland administration and school board have rushed to close schools ignoring its own policy and contract commitments to implement its commitments to confer with parents, teachers and the public about its proposals. Rather than “engage” with school communities, the school closures are being planned in concert with state leaders and their representatives, Alameda County Schools’ Supt. L.K. Monroe and the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT).

Published

4 years ago

May 4, 2022

Oakland Post

Teachers and community rally against budget cuts and school closures. Photo courtesy of CTA.

OUSD Supt. Johnson-Trammell says teacher strike is “illegal” but urges students to stay home on Friday

By Ken Epstein

Oakland educators and Port of Oakland longshore workers are holding simultaneous one-day strikes on Friday as a city-wide movement continues to grow in response to billionaires and gentrifiers backed by elected Democrats seeking to close as many as half of the city’s public schools and give away public funds and public land to build a $12-billion real estate deal and baseball stadium at the Port.

The strikes, as well as rallies and a march, were proposed by a new coalition, Schools and Labor Against Privatization (S.L.A.P.) composed of rank and file educators, members and leaders of ILWU Local and community members to oppose the privatization of public assets and the accelerated displacement of Oakland’s Black, Latino and working class residents.

Keith Brown, president of the Oakland Education Association (OEA), announced the educators’ work stoppage at a press conference on Tuesday. He said an overwhelming 75% of OEA voting members voted to authorize the one-day strike “because the Oakland Unified School District has unilaterally set aside its 2019 agreement with OEA to engage with families when considering school closures. OUSD has continued to ignore this important agreement despite the outcry from families to stop school closures.”

Trent Willis, past president International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 said the union moved its annual May Day stop-work meeting from Sunday to Friday so both unions could join together to protest privatization of public resources.

Willis said that longshore workers and school communities are facing the same opponents.

“We have in common the same billionaire, John Fisher, also a funder of KIPP and Rocketship charter schools, who is trying to privatize our schools and our ports,” he said. “Howard Terminal is key to our Port infrastructure and crucial as an economic engine of the Bay Area. It is a nexus between the port cargo area, ILWU training area, and ship turn around. It is critical to keeping trucks off of the streets of West Oakland and is next to a fully functioning industrial railroad.

“Already the (public) price tag for building the luxury condos and A’s stadium is $1.3 million, (and) they want to close down Oakland’s public schools? Not on our watch,” he said.

Willis added, “The ILWU is really excited about this coalition, Schools and Labor Against Privatization — in fact SLAP is urging similar committees against privatization around the country.”

OEA President Brown said that the strike is taking place because educators are taking “the next step to stop school closures that will displace thousands of students and disproportionately impact Black students in Oakland. Educators say that they (have) had enough. We have authorized a one-day ULB (Unfair Labor Practices) strike to let the district know that the refusal to honor agreements and to have meaningful conversations about how these school closures will impact communities of color is unacceptable.”

“This plan to close schools in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods will accelerate charter growth and gentrification, leading to more educational segregation and a financial drain. That already costs Oakland Public Schools $57 million annually,” he said.

“We call on our elected officials to provide students and schools with the support that they need — instead of closing our schools — and stop the disruption and dislocation of our students. Closing schools does not save money. Our students need more, not less.”

He said that on April 29, teachers are picketing at all OUSD school sites at 6:30 a.m. Other actions that are taking place during the day include a rally at Oscar Grant Plaza at Oakland City Hall and a march to the OUSD headquarters at 1000 Broadway.

OUSD has already closed about 20 schools since 2003. This year and next year, the district is planning to close about 12 more schools. Officials have said repeatedly that OUSD should ultimately shut down about half of its 80 public schools.

Joining in the strike are school workers in AFCME and SEIU 102. A representative of the Alameda Labor Council spoke at the OEA press conference, backing the unions.

OUSD Supt. Kyla Johnson Trammell denounced the strike as an “illegal” work stoppage and urged parents and guardians not to send their children to school on Friday.

“While school buildings will be open on Friday and all employees are still required to come to work, we do not believe that we’ll be able to cover the high number of expected staff absences with substitutes or reassigned central office staff,” she said. “Therefore, we are asking all families not to send their children to school on Friday. The absence will be excused, and no student will be adversely impacted by not attending school that day.”

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COMMENTARY: The National Protest Must Be Accompanied with Our Votes

Just as Trump is gathering election data like having the FBI take all the election data in Georgia from the 2020 election, so must we organize in preparation for the coming primary season to have the right people on ballots in each Republican district, so that we can regain control of the House of Representatives and by doing so, restore the separation of powers and balance that our democracy is being deprived of.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. File photo..

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

As thousands of Americans march every week in cities across this great nation, it must be remembered that the protest without the vote is of no concern to Donald Trump and his administration.

In every city, there is a personal connection to the U.S. Congress. In too many cases, the member of Congress representing the people of that city and the congressional district in which it sits, is a Republican. It is the Republicans who are giving silent support to the destructive actions of those persons like the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of Homeland Security, and the National Intelligence Director, who are carrying out the revenge campaign of the President rather than upholding the oath of office each of them took “to Defend The Constitution of the United States.”

In California, the primary comes in June 2026. The congressional races must be a priority just as much as the local election of people has been so important in keeping ICE from acquiring facilities to build more prisons around the country.

“We the People” are winning this battle, even though it might not look like it. Each of us must get involved now, right where we are.

In this Black History month, it is important to remember that all we have accomplished in this nation has been “in spite of” and not “because of.” Frederick Douglas said, “Power concedes nothing without a struggle.”

Today, the struggle is to maintain our very institutions and history. Our strength in this struggle rests in our “collectiveness.” Our newspapers and journalists are at the greatest risk. We must not personally add to the attack by ignoring those who have been our very foundation, our Black press.

Are you spending your dollars this Black History Month with those who salute and honor contributions by supporting those who tell our stories? Remember that silence is the same as consent and support for the opposition. Where do you stand and where will your dollars go?

Oakland Post

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Activism

Congresswoman Simon Votes Against Department of Homeland Security, ICE Funding

“They need accountability. Republicans already gave these agencies an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration enforcement, funding they have used to conduct raids at schools, separate families, and deploy a masked paramilitary who refuse to identify themselves on American streets. This bill gives them more funding without a single reform to stop unconstitutional, immoral abuses,” she said.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12). File photo.

By Post Staff

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) released a statement after voting against legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB).

“Today, I voted NO on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13, 2026.

“ICE and CBP do not need more funding to terrorize communities or kill more people,” she said in the media release.

“They need accountability. Republicans already gave these agencies an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration enforcement, funding they have used to conduct raids at schools, separate families, and deploy a masked paramilitary who refuse to identify themselves on American streets. This bill gives them more funding without a single reform to stop unconstitutional, immoral abuses,” she said.

“The American people are demanding change. Poll after poll of Americans’ opinions show overwhelming support for requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and prohibiting them from hiding their faces during enforcement actions. This is the bare minimum transparency standard, and this funding legislation does not even meet this low bar,” Simon said.

“Republicans in Congress are not serious about reining in these lawless agencies. Their refusal to make meaningful changes to the DHS funding bill has consequences that go beyond immigration enforcement. TSA agents who keep our airports safe and FEMA workers who help our communities recover from disasters are stuck in limbo due to Republican inaction.

“The Constitution does not have an exception for immigrants. Every person on American soil has rights, and federal agencies must respect them. The East Bay has made clear at the Alameda County and city level that we will hold the line against a violent ICE force and support our immigrant communities – I will continue to hold the line and our values with my votes in Congress.”

Oakland Post

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Activism

Post Newspaper Invites NNPA to Join Nationwide Probate Reform Initiative

The Post’s Probate Reform Group meets the first Thursday of every month via Zoom and invites the public to attend. The Post is making the initiative national and will submit information from its monthly meeting to the NNPA to educate, advocate, and inform its readers.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Tanya Dennis

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) represents the Black press with over 200 newspapers nationwide.

Last night the Post announced that it is actively recruiting the Black press to inform the public that there is a probate “five-alarm fire” occurring in Black communities and invited every Black newspaper starting from the Birmingham Times in Alabama to the Milwaukee Times Weekly in Wisconsin, to join the Post in our “Year of Action” for probate reform.

Reporter Tanya Dennis says, “The adage that ‘When America catches a cold, Black folks catch the flu” is too true in practice; that’s why we’re engaging the Black Press to not only warn, but educate the Black community regarding the criminal actions we see in probate court: Thousands are losing generational wealth to strangers. It’s a travesty that happens daily.”

Venus Gist, a co-host of the reform group, states, “ Unfortunately, people are their own worst enemy when it comes to speaking with loved ones regarding their demise. It’s an uncomfortable subject that most avoid, but they do so at their peril. The courts rely on dissention between family members, so I encourage not only a will and trust [be created] but also videotape the reading of your documents so you can show you’re of sound mind.”

In better times, drafting a will was enough; then a trust was an added requirement to ‘iron-clad’ documents and to assure easy transference of wealth.

No longer.

As the courts became underfunded in the last 20 years, predatory behavior emerged to the extent that criminality is now occurring at alarming rates with no oversight, with courts isolating the conserved, and, I’ve heard, many times killing conservatees for profit. Plundering the assets of estates until beneficiaries are penniless is also common.”

Post Newspaper Publisher Paul Cobb says, “The simple solution is to avoid probate at all costs. If beneficiaries can’t agree, hire a private mediator and attorney to work things out. The moment you walk into court, you are vulnerable to the whims of the court. Your will and trust mean nothing.”

Zakiya Jendayi, a co-host of the Probate Reform Group and a victim herself, says, “In my case, the will and trust were clear that I am the beneficiary of the estate, but the opposing attorney said I used undue influence to make myself beneficiary. He said that without proof, and the judge upheld the attorney’s baseless assertion. In court, the will and trust is easily discounted.”

The Black press reaches out to 47 million Black Americans with one voice. The power of the press has never been so important as it is now in this national movement to save Black generational wealth from predatory attorneys, guardians and judges.

The next probate reform meeting is on March 5, from 7 – 9 p.m. PST. Zoom Details:
Meeting ID: 825 0367 1750
Passcode: 475480

All are welcome.