It is screamed and shouted from every corner and offered as a solution to the countless woes of the city of Oakland – Oakland needs work! And not just any jobs, but “good” jobs that will sustain its families and feed its children for the long term. 

Politicians ran and are currently running on “fast fix” platforms and yet the truth is that Oakland still has an unemployment rate of 17.3 percent, which is nearly twice the national average. The time for talk and more meetings is coming to an end.

The Revive Oakland! Coalition was launched on the steps of City Hall on June 18, demanding the Oakland Army Base redevelopment project yield jobs to the community. The Port of Oakland and the Army Base Project developers were presented with a “community contract” then and were asked to sign and seal this agreement on July 20. This community agreement was set to expire on Aug. 1, but the port voted on Tuesday to keep the issue of local hiring, community based job training, the development of job placement programs and a commitment to fund these projects on the table in its talks with the developers. 

The now closed Oakland Army Base – the size of 10 football fields – has the potential to create and sustain more than 8,000 jobs. This community agreement was formed through the diligence and hard-working efforts of the Revive Oakland Coalition For Real Jobs and Healthy Neighborhoods. The coalition brought together labor, faith, political and community movers and shakers along with concerned Oakland residents who pledged to continue the campaign and make sure that the true voices of  the people will consistently ring in the ears of the decision makers of  AMB/CCG, the primary developers of the huge project.

Long time resident Shirley Burnell of Alliance of California for Community Empowerment, reminded everyone that it is our community youth that are suffering most under the current economic crises. 

“We need to reach those youth with E, D and C felonies and get them into some training classes where they can learn to do the construction and work in the warehouses and take on those computer jobs,” Burnell said.

The same sentiment was echoed by supporter Devonda Pugh who has lived in Oakland all of her life. Both of these women agree that there is a direct correlation between youth crime and the lack of jobs.  

ILWU Local 10 was well represented at the meeting. The primary concern of the labor union is the issue of outsourcing. 

“Who are going to get these jobs?” asked Brad Bucher, a fourth generation union worker. “Union work has to be done by union workers who must receive union wages and benefits.”

Big John Denton said he is ready to ensure that this will happen “by any means necessary.” 

A short video was presented at the meeting by East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy. In the film, East and West Oakland residents talk about the struggles of finding family-supporting jobs and urge the developer to sign the good jobs contract.

The actual contract may not have been signed on Tuesday, but all parties concerned are at least talking and Oakland is indeed being heard. 

To support this movement to get Oakland back to work, contact Revive Oakland! Coalition for Real Jobs and Healthy Neighborhoods and East Bay Alliance For A Sustainable Economy at www.workingeastbay.org or at 1814 Franklin St., Suite 325, Oakland.


Revive Oakland! is supported in part by the following:

Alliance of California for Community Empowerment
Alameda County Labor Council
AFL-CIO
Center for Third World Organizing
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
The Workforce Collaborative
Alameda County Department of Public Health
All of Us or None, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Causa Justa: Just Cause
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
National Employment Law Project, Oakland Rising
PolicyLink
Teamsters Joint Council 7
UNITE HERE 2805
Urban Peace Movement
Urban Habitat
Youth Uprising
California State Assemblyman Sandré Swanson
Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson

About Debi Mason

Debi Mason has traveled throughout the United States for more than twenty years performing her stories, poems and other musings in front of youth and adult audiences at universities, conferences, festivals, libraries, schools and churches. An accomplished actress for many years, Debi is the recipient of a performance grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study and master the art of story.   She is the former Managing Artistic Director of the award winning Black Theatre Troupe, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona and is the founder and artistic director of Spoken Word Ministries whose focus is to provide enrichment to the community through performances that heal, motivate and inspire.  Once turning her life over to Christ, Debi is a spiritual voice for hurting and abused women and men.  She has been awarded the distinction of being a Master Storyteller by the National Association of Black Storytellers (2006) and has been a member of the award winning Black Storytellers of San Diego for ten years.  Her author credits include a book of poems and essays, Speaking Boldly, As I Ought To Speak, Vol. 1 and two published plays, Granny’s Porch and Keys to The Kingdom.  She is currently a member of Center of Grace Ministries in West Oakland where she is active in the Arts and Culture Ministry.  A personal testimony, Arizona Clay, is currently in print and can be purchased on-line through Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com