Environmental activist, union official to Oakland port commission

Environmental activist, union official to Oakland port commission The Oakland City Council approved the appointment of Margaret Gordon, a long-time activist against port pollution, and Victor Uno, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 595, to the seven-member Oakland Port Commission.
   Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums had sought July council approval of the two, but withdrew the names at the last moment fearing he may have trouble getting the required votes. Dellums reportedly lobbied council members hard in the interim, resulting in a 7-1 council vote to approve both new commissioners.
   The two wasted no time in making their positions on at least one contentious issue well known.
   When asked about a recent port proposed truck re-regulation plan that would see drivers hired as employees instead of independent owner-operators, Uno told the San Francisco Guardian, “Truckers becoming employees is definitely part of the solution. It is clearly one of the ways to address this issue.”
   A similar plan being proposed in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles is facing a mounting wave of industry criticism and the threat of potential litigation on numerous fronts.
   Gordon said while she is in favor of any plan that improves air quality, she believes there may be other options for the truck plan.
   “All I’m worried about is that small businesses, unions and community health organizations can work together,” she told the Guardian. “We have to be unified in resolving these issues.”