News stories that East Bay progressives and environmentalists shouldn’t miss:
1. Oakland’s public employee unions are protesting a contract proposal by Oakland Mayor Jean Quan that would require them to pay a higher share of rising healthcare and pension costs, while cutting some sick-leave benefits, the Chron$ reports. Quan’s proposal also calls for the elimination of fifteen unpaid furlough days, but unions are demanding no more concessions after several years of givebacks to the city. The city is in better financial shape now because of the recovering economy, but as the Express previously noted, Quan is proposing to steer $24 million in new expected tax revenues to the police department in the next two years to hire more cops.
