Oakland Parking Officer Crosses Picket Line, Issues Tickets
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – City employees in Oakland staged a one-day strike Monday, prompting the shutdown of most non-essential city services. Despite assurances from the city that parking meters wouldn't be enforced, a parking enforcement officer crossed the picket line and issued tickets.
Before Monday's walkout, city leaders sent out press releases detailing the services that would not be open, which included parking enforcement.
Paul Mason was one of the drivers who received a ticket. He was slapped with a $58 fine for not feeding the meter.
"I was mad at somebody," Mason told KPIX 5.
According to city officials, at least one parking enforcement officer cross the picket line and went to work.
"People have the right to strike, or they have the right to report to work," said Oakland city spokesperson Karen Boyd. "And he came he was a parking citation enforcement person. So he came and wrote tickets, as was his job."
Officials did not know how many tickets he wrote, but they said he put in a full shift.
"I thought there's probably a lot of other people who may be having the same problem, and that's not right," Mason said.
KPIX 5 asked if the city will make things right for drivers who received tickets. "We did tell the public that we did not anticipate there would be parking enforcement, so we will honor that," Boyd said.
City officials urge drivers who were ticketed on Monday to follow the appeal instructions on the back of the ticket. Appeals can be filed either in person or online.
Workers are expected to return to their jobs on Tuesday.
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