Central Labor Council of Alameda
hosts annual Labor Day picnic

By Clifford L. Williams

Alameda County’s Central Labor Council hosted its annual Labor Day picnic for nearly 2,000 of its union members and their families on Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Regional Park in East Oakland.
   The event, which recognized contributions of working families in Alameda County, featured music by Pete Escovedo and his Orchestra, barbeque cooked and served by the Hayward Firefighters, a third annual poker tournament and entertainment for children.
    Union members also heard from community and clergy members, as well as local politicians including Lt. Governor John Garamendi, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Jerry McNerney.
    The Central Labor Council of Alameda County represents more than 100,000 members from 130 local unions. Some of the successes they celebrated during the picnic included Woodfin Hotel workers winning $250,000 in back pay, Waste Management garbage workers being “unlocked-out,” justice for UC custodians, a contract at the Oakland Unified School District, the organizing of Port drivers and many other contract fights during 2007.
    Sharon Cornu, executive secretary/ treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, noted that other union issues remain on the horizon for 2008. “We are looking forward to a 2008 contract fight,” said Cornu. “Half of our members, about 50,000 in Alameda County, are covered by contracts that expire on June 30.
    “This includes every hospital and nursing home, a lot of private industries, the Port of Oakland, truck drivers, communications workers and union employees at most of our schools and city government, all whom will be involved in contract bargaining.”
    But, as far as the day’s picnic, Cornu noted, “Happy Labor Day.”