Local 55 President Zac Unger is taking on a new challenge: running for Oakland City Council.
With close to three decades serving as a fire fighter and paramedic, along with a lifetime dedication to labor unions, Unger is hoping to bring his public safety experience to city governance.
“A lot of people run for office as their first step in a long political career. I’m running for city council as my last step in a long public safety and public service career,” Unger said.
A fourth-generation union leader, Unger has served on multiple negotiating teams, held the position of Local 55 vice president before advancing to his current role. As a union leader, he helped run campaigns, negotiated contracts, worked on ballot measures, and addressed long-term pension and debt obligations for the city.
As an Oakland native, Unger has deep ties to the city and is running for office to make it better, driven by the desire to return to the city he remembers while growing up.
“A lot of people run for office as their first step in a long political career. I’m running for city council as my last step in a long public safety and public service career.”
Zac unger, local 55 president
“It’s a competitive race. I have four opponents, one of whom is running on an anti-fire department platform on cutting our pensions and health care,” he said. “I just couldn’t sit by and let that happen.”
Unger says he is focused on bringing attention to the contrast between Oakland’s perceived image as a city supportive of labor versus its recent realities.
“Oakland has this reputation as a labor-friendly town, but that hasn’t really been the truth over the last few years,” he said. “There are a lot of politicians who give lip service to labor, and they’re happy to take our money and our endorsement. But when it comes down to negotiating contracts, they’re not there for us.”
His grassroots approach to campaigning, with over 2,000 doors already knocked on and plans for thousands more, epitomizes his hands-on commitment to engaging with voters directly.
“Being a city council member is about putting your head down and doing the work. That’s what we do as union leaders and fire fighters every single day,” he said. “I’m excited to get into the weeds of the policy and do the nuts-and-bolts work to make Oakland even better than it already is.”
Learn more about Unger’s campaign here.
