Both sides in the fight over the Oakland A’s waterfront ballpark are expected to turn out in force Monday for the first round in the approval process for the team’s planned 35,000-seat stadium, housing, retail and entertainment development at the Port of Oakland.

“We’re not just going to a meeting, you are going to see a full-blown rally, Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval said of the port’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

“It’s important to show that the public and the A’s and the port commission are all on the same page and ready to go forward,” Kaval said.

At issue is a tentative agreement to give the A’s four years to complete an environmental impact report on the project, plus get the needed land-use approvals from state and local agencies to develop the 50-acre site.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is a big backer of the ballpark, as is the 135,000-member Alameda Labor Council, which sees the stadium project as a boon for jobs.

“Oakland’s working people want to see job creation and community-strengthening projects happen right here at home,” Alameda Labor Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Liz Ortega said in a statement.

“With this agreement, we’re standing on third base with no outs. But we’re not home yet,” Ortega said. “We will continue to work with the A’s to reach a community benefits agreement to ensure we all cross home plate together.”

But not everyone is cheering.

The port’s maritime tenants and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, whose members work the port’s docks, say the traffic and congestion that would come with the stadium and housing would hurt the port’s shipping business.

“Essentially, what they are saying its that it’s OK to build a stadium and housing here, and we are saying it is still a threat to the port’s operations,” said Pacific Merchant Shipping Association Vice President Mike Jacob. “They need to include us in the front end of the planning of this project, and until that happens it’s going to be hard to bring us to the table.”

While both sides will be playing to public opinion, the port commission is all but certain to vote in favor of the tentative term sheet.

The real fight will come when the final deal goes before the much more politically reactive Oakland City Council for approval later this year.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phillip Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier