Coalition of Progressive Labor & Community Groups Calls On The City of Oakland to “Reinvest in Recovery—Show Us the Receipts”

Mar 25, 2021

(Oakland, California) — In anticipation of the City Council accepting federal relief funds on March 29, a coalition of Community and Labor groups representing city workers, homeless advocates and residents called on City Leaders, including the Mayor and City Council, to commit to a “Just Recovery” that allocates as much relief money as possible towards keeping Oaklaners housed, healthy and safe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Over the course of the pandemic, the Mayor has single handedly laid off frontline workers and shut down basic services, including fire stations. Going forward, residents, workers and advocates for the city’s growing homeless population are demanding full transparency from the Mayor and a voice in how the City prioritizes a just recovery.

Oakland Rising’s Interim Executive Director, liz suk, spoke at the event and hosted it along the Oakland Progressive Alliance (OPA).

 At today’s event speakers unveiled a “Pledge for a Just Recovery” that outlined the key recommendations residents and frontline workers are calling on City leaders to support to ensure Oakland recovers together from the pandemic. These include:

  • Supporting a transparent budget proposal that will utilize the city’s Federal American Rescue Plan funds to invest in the areas of greatest need including housing the homeless, access to testing and vaccinations and maintaining critical city services
  • Not making any cuts to the City budget or redirecting Federal stimulus dollars to fill budget gaps without a transparent, public process
  • Focusing our recovery on the Black, Brown and Indigenous communities of color hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic 

The American Rescue Plan is sending $192 million in direct aid to Oakland in two batches over the next two fiscal years. The City Council is still waiting for a third party, Harvey Rose, to perform an independent audit of the City’s budget. 

Oaklanders are encouraged to reach out to the Mayor’s office and to City Council Members to demand a transparent budget proposal that will utilize the city’s Federal American Rescue Plan funds to invest in public services and frontline city workers.

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This event was hosted by a coalition of Labor and Community groups committed to reinvesting in the people, jobs and services that help Oakland thrive. The coalition represents our working class Oaklanders.