Fellow Engineers and Others: Unjustified Termination

On KPFA's labor report, SA, a producer on Voices from the Middle East, and until six months ago, a professional engineer with the Community and Economic Development Department of the City of Oakland, was terminated from that position because, due to a state government mixup, his renewal notice was sent to his previous address. Usually an engineer whose license is lapsed is simply restricted from taking any action requiring a license until the matter is resolved, but SA suspects that his Iranian heritage, his politics, and possibly his age, are the real reasons for the city's actions.

SA is a member of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which presumably will help with arbitration, but SA says the city claims it can't assign a party on their behalf for arbitration until October, and the decision might not happen until March. SA says he suspects that the cost to the city of engaging in binding arbitration will be greater than that of his wages over the same interval of time.

As I write, there is an info-picket at Ogawa Plaza on SA's behalf. The morning show hosts mentioned the phone number for the offices of the city manager Robert Bobb (510) 238-3301, and Jerry Brown (510) 238-3141.

I myself am an Engineer In Training, which is an official transition certification preliminary to becoming a Professional Engineer of the state. I feel this kind of firing just due to a registration renewal mixup is completely out of proportion and should be reversed with all speed.

SA also provided his own number: (510) XXXXXXX