Oakland unions protest pending budget cuts to police, fire services

OAKLAND, Calif. - City workers in Oakland on Monday held a protest against proposed budget cuts, especially to police, fire and public safety departments. 

A coalition of unions—including IAFF Local 55, IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 1021, and IBEW Local 1245—are demanding "immediate action" to protect essential city services in the wake of a $93-million shortfall projected in the city's latest revenue and expenditures report. 

For example, the unions point out that a $34-million cut is being proposed from fire services.

Meanwhile, Sam Singer, who is representing the Oakland police union, sent out an early morning email showing that an earlier version of a financial report indicated Oakland was facing bankruptcy, but the latest version was wiped clean of this language. 

"The City of Oakland is being dishonest," Huy Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, said in a statement. "The city first publishes that it’s heading toward bankruptcy and may have to declare a fiscal emergency, but then alters and removes that very language online to sanitize the true state of Oakland’s fiscal mismanagement. There should be an investigation into how and who made these changes."

In an email Monday afternoon, a representative for the City of Oakland addressed the early version of the financial report, saying it was inadvertently published.

"An earlier, unapproved draft of this report was inadvertently and briefly published as well on Friday, containing reference to Chapter 9," said Communications and Engagement Director Sean Maher. "The City removed this reference in the approved final draft, after internal analysis concluded that the Chapter 9 level of decision making was, and remains, premature at this time. However, that analysis does not in any way diminish the urgency of the financial discussion that needs to be held at the City Council

 The police union has been demanding the city hire a financial expert since early 2024, and according to the union, has been "rebuffed."

KTVU spoke to city workers in attendance at Monday's protest.

"As a 911 dispatcher, I can tell you first and foremost I receive the phone calls and my coworkers receive the phone calls from all of the citizens that report the issues that happen in this city," dispatcher Antoinette Blue told KTVU. "There’s no way that we can go ahead and continue on with cutting dispatch, cutting fire, cutting any of the vital services that are needed to keep this city running."

Maher reiterated its current hiring freeze for non-sworn positions, a city-wide moratorium on professional trainings and conferences as well as administrative actions to reduce city spending. 

"Despite these steps, reductions in the OPD and OFD budget are now unavoidable to effectively address the current year shortfall," the spokesperson said.

The City Council will meet on Tuesday to review its finances.