Activism

Longshore Workers Shut Down Port of Oakland, Rally to Save Port and Public Schools

Trent Willis, past president of Local 10, called on union members to organize and fight. “We know what we stand for: we stand for equality, we stand against privatization, we stand against gentrification,” he said. “Every generation has had their battle, and this is ours. When it’s time to throw down, we have to stand up.”

Published

4 years ago

February 22, 2022

Oakland Post

Teachers and members of school communities joined the ILWU Local 10 longshore workers who shut down the Port of Oakland and rallied Thursday at noon at Oakland City Hall to halt the takeover of public land at the Port land and the closure of schools to benefit billionaire charter school and real estate developers. Shown (L to R) are Marlo Johnson, ILWU Local 10; Parker Elementary School educators Denise Huffstutler and Hillary Chen, who were among a group from Parker that held a sick-out Thursday to oppose the closing of their school in June; Trent Willis, past president of ILWU Local 10; and Kira Allen, who spoke for hunger strikers at Westlake Middle School. Photo by Ken Epstein

By Ken Epstein

Longshore workers, members of ILWU Local 10, shut down the Port of Oakland Thursday, rallying at Oakland City Hall at noon to show their determination to halt the giveaway of public land to billionaire John Fisher’s real estate project at the Port and to show solidarity with the fight of Oakland teachers and communities to save their schools from being closed and given away to privatizers.

The name of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, when mentioned, was greeted by boos. Schaaf, who is viewed as an agent of privatizers like John Fisher, also has spoken publicly in favor of closing as many as half of Oakland’s public schools.

Melvin Mackay, ILWU Local 10 executive board member, emphasized that building of million-dollar condominiums is incompatible with the functioning of a 24/7 working port.

“If they ever put residential on maritime land, we’re done,” he said.

Said ILWU Local 10 member Linda Adams, “This is not about a ballpark. This is about prime real estate for billionaires.”

Nick Palmquest, who is a teacher at MetWest, said the struggle to save the schools and the Port are connected. “We must stop the privatization of our Port, and we must stop the privatization of our schools,” he said.

A group of teachers and others from Parker Elementary School, which is one of the schools scheduled to be closed in June, held a sick-out and joined the City Hall rally.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.