City Government

The Unfinished Work for Jobs & Freedom

Published

12 years ago

February 28, 2014

From porters to postal carriers, teachers to truck drivers, Oakland is a city built by hardworking men and women who have fought – not only for their own success – but also for the respectful and equitable treatment of our brothers and sisters everywhere.

As we celebrated black history month, we renewed our faith and commitment to movements for positive social change and justice. We remembered the teachings of James 2:26, that “faith is dead without good works.”

I think often of the Prophet Isaiah (Chapter 58), who interrupted a prayer service to tell the people that God is impressed not by fasting and wailing, but by their actions to house the homeless and clothe the shivering.

When the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life, he was working for human rights of all kinds, racial justice and fair access to quality jobs.

During the Civil Rights Movement, the famous ‘March on Washington’ was actually called the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.’

“We refuse to believe there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation,” Dr. King told us as he organized the ‘Poor Person’s Campaign.’ He proposed the ‘The Freedom Budget’ to support public works, public health and job training – and other priorities to level the playing field.

When I served on AC Transit’s elected board of directors, I attended a conference of transit officials from throughout the country. I visited the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and got to meet Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles – who worked closely with Dr. King.

Rev. Kyles shared the story of his experience with the bus boycotts in the 1960s, and told me that many people haven’t fully understood the boycotts: they weren’t just about the mistreatment of black bus riders – they were also about jobs, he said. Back then, transit agencies weren’t hiring African Americans.

As an elected leader representing all of Oakland, I believe fair access to local jobs is one of our most critical issues. Eliminating poverty and empowering people to achieve economic success is vital to our community’s long-term health. These are goals I’ve committed my career to advancing.

I’ve worked for the right of minority-owned businesses to access the city’s many job-generating projects. We’ve succeeded, not only in passing that legislation, but also in creating thousands of jobs in Oakland.

I’m working to help build Coliseum City, which will support our sports arenas and ex-Unfinished Work for Jobs & Freedom Continued from page 1 pand jobs in East Oakland. And it’s why I co-authored Measure BB, a transportation plan that’ll provide quality jobs while improving public transit and pedestrian safety.

Dr. King’s focus on economic justice was right on.

Last June, I proudly co-authored Oakland’s budget – the “All In” budget – with Councilmembers McElhaney and Kalb. Our budget succeeded in funded critical improvements – not just for police, parks and potholes – to stop illegal dumping, blight and graffiti. Our constituents – in every corner of our city – deserve clean streets and safe neighborhoods. They deserve fully-funded libraries, senior centers and Head Start child care centers.

During the Great Recession, officials in Sacramento in Washington cut services – a convenient but shortsighted way to address budget deficits. The cuts hurt some of our poorest – and that was a travesty. Whether you’re a government official or a grassroots organizer, a member of the clergy or the owner of a small business – economic justice is something we can create.

In Oakland and everywhere – today and every day – we must work for equality in everything we do. By organizing effectively, leading with conscience and creating jobs – we’ll forge new progress on racial equality, economic equity and human rights. And we’ll do it together.

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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

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1 week ago

March 1, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

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Bay Area

CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.