Bay Area Teamsters go to Sacramento to support new Oakland A’s stadium
July 1, 2019
Joint Council 7 Teamsters made their presence known on June 25 at the State Capitol. They attended a hearing convened by the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources to hear testimony on the new Oakland A’s stadium slated to be built on Port of Oakland land, just west of Jack London Square at Howard Terminal.
“The Teamsters not only had a good showing, but we also filled up the first couple of rows of seats,” said Terry Post from Local 853. “When the legislators looked out at the crowd, we were the first ones they saw.”
Along with the Teamster members was Assemblymember Rob Bonta, who sponsored the bill, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Cesar Diaz from the State Building and Construction Trades Council, who spoke in support of the proposed ballpark.
The only real opposition came from the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU), who stand to lose six jobs if the park is built. In spite of ILWU’s opposition, the bill, AB 1191, was voted out of committee 9-0.
“I’m excited and thankful to my colleagues for passing AB 1191 in the Assembly today,” said Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland). “This project is a win for Oakland and the East Bay. It will create strong union jobs that provide good wages and benefits. It will create badly-needed affordable housing and will keep the A’s rooted in Oakland for years to come. AB 1191 will now move on to the Senate for consideration.”
“I will continue to work with the State Lands Commission, the City of Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission, the Port of Oakland and the Oakland A’s to ensure this bill is the best it can possibly be.”
Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval concurred. “Today’s bipartisan vote is another major step forward for our efforts to build a new ballpark district at Howard Terminal that will be a model of green design, sustainable development, and environmental justice reform,” said Kaval. “We are grateful to Assemblymember Bonta for his leadership and appreciate the overwhelming vote of support from the Assembly. We still have much work ahead of us, but this is another significant milestone for our club and our city.”
“The proposed stadium has a long road before it is approved,” said Post, “and the Teamsters will stand behind it every step of the way.”
