Today, The East Bay Express is reporting that the Port of Oakland workers may go on strike for the first time in 41 years. Recently, contracts between the SEIU and three other unions representing port workers have expired. SEIU says that port management is asking for major concessions, including an increased five percent employee contribution to their pension plans and no cost-of-living increase in wages which workers say equates to about a 10 percent pay cut.
Darwin BondGraham wrote the East Bay Express article, which reports that workers and port management have now reached an impasse as SEIU's members voted down the port's most recent takeaway offer. The dispute is now in mediation, one of the last stages before a possible strike. He spoke with KALW’s Holly Kernan.
Listen to the interview above.
