Community
Coalition Demands Port of Oakland Agree to Living Wage Warehouse Jobs
A coalition of local organizations is pushing for the Port of Oakland to create living wage jobs for Oakland residents at a logistics center the port is getting ready to build.
More than six weeks of intense negotiations between the community coalition and the port have focused on the first warehouse in the project, which could produce up to 120 jobs. The warehouse, proposed to be built by CenterPoint Properties, would provide logistics space for transferring and loading cargo and distribution services on a 27-acre plot of the 185-acre Oakland Army Base parcel that belongs to the port.
More is at stake, however, than the local hiring agreement for jobs at this first warehouse. This agreement is likely to become the model for local hiring at other warehouses and companies that will be built on the port property, according to organizers.
CenterPoint is a private Chicago-based company, but it is owned by CalPERS, a state agency that manages public employee pensions, including those of many local residents who are SEIU members.
Members of the coalition held a public meeting last Thursday evening at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in West Oakland to report to the community on the progress of negotiations.
“As a community coalition, we are holding the port to their promise to do the same or better” than the jobs agreement signed by the city for its portion of the army base development, said Jahmese Myres, campaign director for the Revive! Oakland Coalition, which includes labor, community and faith-based groups.
What is being discussed, she said, is 50 percent local hire and 25 percent for disadvantaged workers in the port’s “local impact area,” and cities Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda and San Leandro.
“The port is hoping to strike a deal by Sept. 22, but there are still a lot of outstanding hot issues. We need to ramp up our organizing and our pressure on CenterPoint… to get a better deal than we did with the city,” said Myres.
“The port and CenterPoint need to understand that this is an issue that is not going to go away with them running out the clock,” she said.
Also speaking at the meeting was Margaret Gordon of OaklandWorks and West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project.
She explained that the “roots of the planned project” can be traced back to developer Phil Tagami and then Mayor Jerry Brown.
When the U.S. Army closed the Oakland Army Base in 1999, the land was divided between the port and the City of Oakland. Tagami won the contract to develop the city’s side of the property.
“All of this is public money –the roads, electrical lines, the sewers,” she said. “The developer has not had any private money doing anything – it’s free infrastructure. Now they are talking about building a (private) warehouse.
“The recycling companies, truck parking, warehouses – there are all jobs.”
Carroll Fife of OaklandWorks, who chaired the meeting, underscored the importance of winning a good jobs agreement.
“We have an opportunity to set a precedent on how jobs are distributed to Oakland residents,” she said. “There is an ethnic cleansing that is happening in the city right now, and we have to say we aren’t having it.”
Fred Pecker, secretary treasurer of warehouse union ILWU Local 6, said that many companies staff their warehouses with temp workers.
“You have a workforce that is always in the shadow, (workers) that do not assert their rights (because) if they do, they disappear,” he said. “We want stable jobs in the community and stable (work) standards.”
Kitty Kelly Epstein said that “local hire” agreements so far have not meant that Black people are getting hired. “This is our public money, and Black people are not getting jobs on city-funded projects.”
She said reported data show that African Americans are only getting 5 percent of construction jobs on city projects. The port and its developers need to produce demographic statistics on their projects, too, she said.
The coalition of organizations is holding a protest Thursday, Sept. 8 at noon to demand that the port sign a jobs and community benefit agreement with the community. The protest will be held at the meeting of the Port Commission, 530 Water St. in Oakland.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025

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Op-Ed: Why Black Fathers Like Me Must Speak Up About Autism
Being “Dad” to my daughter Amari, who was diagnosed with autism, changed everything. In the Black community, silence around disability comes at a cost. I’ve learned that fatherhood is leadership—and it’s time we speak up. Our kids need early support, inclusive policies, and visible, vocal fathers. Autism isn’t the tragedy—silence is.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE – As a Black father, I’ve worn many titles—provider, protector, community leader, mentor. But none has shaped me more than being “Dad” to my daughter Amari, who was diagnosed with autism.
When I first heard the word autism associated with my child, I’ll admit—I was overwhelmed. Like many parents, I didn’t fully understand what it meant. I was afraid of what the future might hold. But in the Black community, fear is often met with silence. And silence—especially around disability and mental health—has become a quiet barrier too many families struggle behind.
That’s why I’m speaking out—not just as a father, but as an advocate for our children, for public service education, and for civic engagement rooted in love and leadership.
Black children are too often diagnosed, later, misdiagnosed, or outright denied access to the early interventions they need. The reasons are layered—racial disparities in healthcare, cultural stigma, under-resourced schools, and unconscious bias in medical and educational systems. The results are heartbreaking. Our children fall through cracks that should never exist.
Even fewer people talk about the role of fathers—especially Black fathers—in this journey. Too often, we’re pushed to the margins of the conversation or expected to stay silent. That ends here.
I’ve sat in countless IEP meetings. I’ve researched therapies, pushed for inclusive classrooms, and sought out the support systems that weren’t readily available. I’ve wiped away tears and celebrated every breakthrough. And in each step, I’ve realized that parenthood is more than presence—it’s informed, engaged leadership. It’s showing up as our child’s strongest advocate.
Through my advocacy, I’ve worked with other families here in Prince George’s County to build community, share knowledge, and empower fathers. But we need more. We need a cultural shift—one that recognizes neurodiversity, reduces stigma, and promotes civic participation among parents and caregivers. We need to normalize vulnerability in Black men and redefine strength as being fully present for our children.
And we need policy.
- Paid family leave.
- Inclusive classrooms.
- Early intervention access.
- Increased funding for special education—especially in underserved communities where disparities are most pronouncedl.
These aren’t just family issues. They are issues of public leadership. They are the foundations of building future leaders through involvement, advocacy, and education.
Our children deserve more than awareness—they deserve action. And our fathers deserve to be seen, heard, and supported—not shamed or silenced.
Autism is not a tragedy. Silence is.
Let’s talk. Let’s act. Let’s lead.
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