Top Union Suddenly Turns Against Dem Mayor After Her Campaign ‘Falsely’ Claimed It Received Endorsement

A powerful union suddenly got behind a recall effort targeting embattled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, declaring Wednesday that the Democrat “cannot be trusted” after her campaign “falsely” claimed it had received an endorsement from the organization.

Oaklanders Defending Democracy, the anti-recall organization headed by Thao, posted an image Monday on their website showing the Northern California Carpenters Union against the recall despite the union not making an endorsement of Thao, according to a press release published Wednesday. Now, the union is supporting her recall, emphasizing her conduct in the fiasco as well as the city’s growing problems under her administration.

“Mayor Sheng Thao disrespected our 36,000 union members. By falsely using our name and logo, it shows she cannot be trusted,” Jay Bradshaw, executive secretary treasurer of the union, said in the press release. “Further, she has not had the strength of character to even apologize for her transgression to our members, many of whom live and work in Oakland and are suffering the high crime rates, lack of affordable housing and other ills that our city is facing.”

The recall effort against Thao coincides with an explosion in crime across the city, with a 2023 city-wide crime report showing motor vehicle theft up 44% from 2022, robbery up 38%, violent crime up 21% and overall crime up 17%. Thao also cut the Oakland Police Department’s (OPD) number of open positions from 728 to 678, according to Oaklandside in August.