Labor

Oakland school nurse Danielle Schaefer administers a vision test—one of her many daily tasks. The nurses say their workload is overwhelming and unsustainable.

Facing shortages, Oakland school nurses concerned about meeting student health needs

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In Oakland, a shortage of school nurses has led to difficult working conditions—heavy caseload, treating severe health conditions, and high stress—that nurses say make it challenging to meet the health needs of Oakland students.

Largest strike in history yields higher pay, safer work conditions for hotel workers

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More than 7,700 hotel workers across the country walked off of their jobs and began the largest strike in history against the largest hotel corporation in the world, Marriott.
James Cox buckles in her daughter, Yemaya, as they head to Creative Explorers—a child care center that meets Cox's unique needs.

Adventures in babysitting: Oakland parents struggle to find the right child care

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In Alameda County, there are multiple barriers—cost, capacity, hours of service—that parents have to navigate in order to access quality child care.

Tens of millions of dollars pour into Prop 8 which seeks to limit dialysis center profits

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Billion-dollar dialysis companies and a labor union are spending tens of millions of dollars to sway Proposition 8 votes their way on Election Day. Health experts say the proposition is unlikely to improve care for...
Jazmyn Brown leads SHADE Movement's Human Trafficking 101 workshop.

Survivors of human trafficking take the lead on teaching about ‘modern day slavery’

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“I always was ashamed, and I always thought of myself as a prostitute,” said Elizabeth Quiroz. “But now that I know this, I’m educating myself. That’s not what happened. I was a victim. Now I’m...
Teachers and students demonstrating for a new contract outside of Oakland International High School.

Oakland teachers protest amidst fraught contract negotiations

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As the teachers' union and school district continue contract negotiations, teachers across Oakland demonstrated last week to demand smaller class sizes and a pay raise be included in the new contract.
OUSD Chief Business Officer Marcus Battle updates the Board on the district's finances. (Photo by Mickey Capper)

Following budget cuts, Oakland schools close year with surprising budget surplus

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At an Oakland Unified School Board meeting on Wednesday, it was revealed that the district ended the 2017-18 school year ended with a $29 million surplus, instead of the estimated $1.4 million deficit.

May Day march through downtown Oakland calls attention to labor, immigration and police issues

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Papery doves of peace hovered above Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, among people carrying colorful signs and banners demanding the end of immigration raids and deportations. “No ban, no raid, no wall—sanctuary for all!” people...
Members of Congress who belong to the Congressional Black Caucus Diversity Task Force are standing at Merritt College in Oakland. From left, Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, G. K. Butterfield and Gregory Meeks.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee discusses tech economy in Oakland

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On Monday afternoon, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who represents California’s 13thDistrict, which includes Oakland, stood in front of a stage at the Barbara Lee Science and Allied Health Center at Merritt College in Oakland. She was...

For East Bay immigrants, notary fraud is a common legal threat

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Notary fraud is a common set-up in which notaries unlawfully give legal advice to immigrants, and in many cases, pretend to be immigration attorneys. The scam often involves the notary reviewing a victim’s case, choosing...