Oakland airport custodians earned up to $200,000 with overtime; port probe finds favoritism but no kickbacks

Some custodians at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport earned $200,000 or more in a year, driven by overtime, and eight of them out-earned Oakland's mayor in 2023, according to payroll records obtained by UC Berkeley's Investigative Reporting Program and The Oaklandside.

Why it matters: The airport is run by the Port of Oakland and is projecting a $47 million deficit this year. The overtime fight raises questions about how the port manages spending and worker safety.

The union's complaint

SEIU 1021, the union representing the custodians, filed a grievance on Feb. 19, 2025. It alleged that managers steered lucrative overtime shifts to favored workers while others were passed over. It also alleged that some favored workers paid kickbacks to managers. The union asked for compensation for overlooked custodians and removal of the supervisors responsible.

Two days later the port told the union it had hired an outside investigator and asked it to pause the grievance. The union agreed, which kept much of the process out of public records, The Oaklandside reported.

What the investigation found

The 82-page report by Municipal Resource Group found the system for handing out overtime was "inconsistent, leading to the inequitable treatment of custodians," Hoodline and The Oaklandside reported. It found misconduct by one supervisor and found that a lead custodian also showed preferential treatment. It found no credible evidence of kickbacks, and many other allegations were judged unfounded.

The port released the findings of its 20-month investigation after reporters said they planned to publish. By May, the probe had cost the port at least $98,000.

The bigger picture

Overtime for all airport custodians has topped $2 million a year for three years running, according to The Oaklandside. Filling 11 open janitor jobs would cost roughly $1.4 million a year. In 2023, the top overtime earner averaged 74 hours a week, timecards show.

Airport leaders say they have changed how overtime is assigned. Port Communications Director Justin Berton said the sustained findings were isolated and that the port is taking action to discipline the individual involved, Hoodline reported. The port says it has changed its overtime system to ensure fair distribution under the union contract.