Oakland Mayor Cornered by Generous Union Deal

Now everybody wants some gravy

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan ended a one-day strike at the Port of Oakland in December by granting nearly every big-ticket item on the union's wish list, but what was billed as the resolution of one problem may have spawned another.

With newly hired Vice Mayor Sandré Swanson acting as her emissary, Quan's office persuaded Port of Oakland commissioners to approve a four-year contract with the Service Employees International Union that included an 8 percent raise, a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for two years and a one-time $3,500 signing bonus.

That's right—the workers got $3,500 to accept an offer that gave them a pretty generous raise at a time when other union workers in the nation are fighting to keep benefits intact and not lose pay.

(H/T Sevo)