When Mayor Daniel Lurie swore in Alan Wong on Monday as the new District 4 supervisor after a complicated, game show-like process, the political ascent of the 38-year-old former labor organizer was greeted with delight by many — and misgivings from some of Wong’s former labor supporters.
Wong, who got his start in politics through unions, is now on shaky ground with organized labor in San Francisco after a schism earlier this year over his pick for City College chancellor, according to seven people close to San Francisco unions.
Labor’s backing will be critical as Wong runs to keep the District 4 seat in a special election on June 2, 2026. Last year, unions spent a collective $1.19 million on backing their favored district supervisor candidates, and another $914,136 against those candidates’ opponents.
Already, many unions are expected to back Wong’s progressive rival Natalie Gee, an active member of the IFPTE Local 21 and a former labor organizer, which could mean more labor money and volunteers flowing toward Gee.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Wong grew up around unions. After his family moved to San Francisco from Hong Kong, Wong’s father worked as a unionized hotel chef with UNITE HERE Local 2.
In 2013, Wong began working as a labor organizer for SEIU UHW, a union for hospital workers. In 2019, he became a legislative aide for Gordon Mar, himself a former labor organizer, who was the supervisor for District 4 at the time.
After his election to the City College Board of Trustees in 2020, Wong was a consistent supporter of AFT 2121, the union for City College faculty. In 2024, during his reelection bid, he was their sole endorsee, even though there were 10 candidates vying for four seats.
But a fissure came when Wong broke with the union over its choice for City College’s next chancellor.
The City College union wanted Carlos Cortez, the former chancellor of San Diego’s Community College District. Cortez had several public controversies, though, including an arrest for allegedly driving under the influence in Florida in January 2024.
Cortez later told the San Francisco Chronicle that it was due to “a mixture of prescription medicine,” and he pleaded no contest to the reduced charge of reckless driving.
Ahead of the City College board’s May decision about Cortez, unions made their position clear: “This is part of a broader attack on labor,” said Rosa Shields, the political director at the San Francisco Labor Council, at the time. “We will not forget this vote.”
But Wong went against them. After a closed session on May 29, word got back to labor that Wong had not supported Cortez’s candidacy. Two weeks later, the board selected Kimberlee Messina, president of Spokane Falls Community College in Washington.
The union was furious. “We voted to put you in this seat to help lead our college in a good direction,” AFT 2121 President Mary Bravewoman said during public comment after the closed session, pointing toward union members gathered in the back of the room. “What the actual fuck?”
The vote damaged Wong’s relationship with the union and, potentially, the rest of the labor community.
On issues related to City College, other city unions take their cue from AFT 2121. When Wong was elected as City College trustee in 2020 and re-elected in 2024 with what, on paper, appeared to be broad labor backing, that support was partially contingent on the perspective of AFT 2121.
Wong, for his part, declined to talk about his vote for chancellor due to confidentiality agreements.
“What I can say is that I have always been someone that cares about working people,” Wong said, listing his many ties with labor.
“I’m always open to work with anybody and maintain my labor relationship,” Wong said. “Sometimes, there can be fissures. But, by the end of the day, we are all here for working people.”
Wong’s ascent from labor
Multiple union sources told Mission Local that the coming months are key: They will be closely observing the decisions Wong makes, like his position on public employee layoffs during a tough budget season and whether he supports labor’s ballot measure to tax CEOs.
In his first board meeting on Tuesday, Wong voted in favor of the plan to upzone San Francisco, which was highly criticized by progressives in the city, including many unions.
“We will be closely monitoring how he carries out his responsibilities to the residents of District 4 in the weeks and months ahead,” read a statement from Jennie Smith-Camejo, a spokesperson for SEIU Local 1021, which endorsed Wong in both 2020 and 2024 when he ran for City College Board of Trustees.
In that 2024 race, Wong was backed by 24 unions, including City College’s faculty’s union AFT 2121; the United Educators of San Francisco, which represents public school teachers; and San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798. The 24 unions collectively spent $13,999 to back him. In 2020, Wong received $6,749 from 14 unions.
It helped: Wong was the best-funded candidate in both the 2020 and 2024 City College board races. He was also endorsed by AFT 2121 both years, without which he would not have had universal union support. Moving forward, that broad union support is now uncertain.
In an interview, AFT 2121 President Bravewoman declined to comment on whether the union would support Wong in next year’s District 4 election.
“I think that will play out in future elections,” she said, adding that her present focus is on whom Lurie will appoint to replace Wong on the City College board.
“What the Board of Supervisors is gaining, City College is losing,” she said, adding that Wong had been very supportive of labor in the past.
Though multiple sources said Wong had lost her union’s trust, Bravewoman was sanguine about him: His support was key for the union “winning a fair contract in the last round of negotiations,” she said.
“Without his advocacy, we may not have been able to get that contract completed without having to go through a full impasse, and possibly on strike.”
Wong was also the sole vote against City College faculty layoffs in 2022, and supported the ultimately unsuccessful Proposition O, a parcel tax to fund City College programs.
“We are hopeful that Alan is successful in his seat on the Board of Supervisors,” Bravewoman said, “and we’re hoping that he will continue to be a champion for City College.”
Unions are all find and good but the notion that the political interests of the largest non-corporate campaign contributors are wholly coincident with the political interests of the electorate or even the progressive electorate is ethical piffle.
The interests of labor are member headcount and raising taxes to pay for member headcount. The interests of the voting public is to ensure that policies that our elected officials enact are faithfully executed. Resources should be tailored to the mission, not the mission to the resources.
Wong’s vote on City College’s chancellor is presented as a key moment in his relationship with labor. Some additional context: the CCSF Board vote to move Dr. Messina application forward was 6-0. It may have been wise for the union’s sole endorsee not to oppose the majority’s choice. Why get off on the wrong foot with college’s new leader?
I’m supportive of reckless driving being disqualifying for a position requiring good judgement.
Or mindless support of robotaxi surveillance, absolutely.
What BOS Committees will Wong be put on by Mandelman?
None announced Tuesday of listed on BOS site Thursday,
You’ve already reported one of Wong’s biggest red flags: that he sat on the board of Stop Crime SF, funded by Republican billionaire William Oberndorf’s Neighbors for a Better San Francisco.
This.
Sunset district who voted Joel out by a super majority will Not back Alan who wanted defund police also Gordon Mar aide or Gee who also wanted defund police, sunset is not Bayview and worst choice. They both suddenly supports Great highway opening to cars which people doubted it was for political spotlight.
It is not Wong’s job to mindlessly parrot the unions’ talking points. It is his job to stand up for his constituents, many of whom think that unions in this town are a problem rather than a solution.
Will doesn’t like Unions, news at 11.
Doesn’t matter what Will likes or doesn’t like – the last D4 supe was recalled at great expense and effort because he opposed what the majority of his constituents wanted. And in that regard, he is absolutely correct about the core supervisor constituency – those that elected them.
Yes, after Joel’s humiliation, no supervisor should be in any doubt about who to listen to.
And yet YIMBY lies abound.
No, the expense was paid for by donations and the amount LIAR JOEL wasted was in the millions, and he was fired for LYING. He scrubbed his meeting record and pretended it was accidental. Legal violation, Sunshine Ordinance. Legit illegal.
Nice try revisionist who doesn’t live in teh Sunset.
The union will always prioritize the interests of its members, the workers they represent, and the community they serve, while balancing the need to fund those services. Once in a decision-making role, a person must act in what they believe best serves their voters, supporters, and the public. You can’t satisfy everyone, but if you accept the consequences of your choices, you can trust you did your best with the options available. No one—and no candidate—is perfect, and expecting perfection only leads to disappointment. Perhaps he needs to improve his communication so even those who disagree can understand his reasoning and why he made his decisions.
He was appointed by Lurie for two reasons.
1, back the upzoning no matter what else.
2, maybe get re-elected and continue to support Lurie stuff.
That’s literally the thought process in total.
Natalie Gee is hands down the best choice for this seat.
Of the 5 ‘short listed’ sure but why those 5 only? There are hundreds more!
“I’ll be open to listening…”
Votes day 1 for Lurie’s $-backed upzoning scam.
“Later, I mean. I’ll listen LATER…”