San Francisco used to be the largest port in Northern California. Over the last forty years, it has become a tourist trap instead of a working port. Is the same thing in store for the Port of Oakland?
The Oakland A’s baseball team, which is owned by John Fisher, who owns the GAP Corporation in San Francisco, wants to turn the Howard Terminal into a stadium, and build 4,000 $1 million dollar condos to finance the project.
Howard Terminal is a staging area for truckers, so they can stay off the streets of Oakland, and also is used for training of ILWU Local 10 longshore workers. There is a battle now shaping up about this development, and how it will affect maritime jobs as well as the gentrification of the historic African American community in West Oakland.
Fisher and his family also run the KIPP and Rocketship charter school chains, which is pushing privatization of education in San Francisco, Oakland, and throughout the country.

Initial Speakers: Gabriel Prawl, ILWU Local 52 President Seattle, Clarence Thomas, ILWU Local 10 Secretary Treasurer, retired; Jack Heyman, ILWU Local 10 former business agent

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