This strike pledge is an important action to show that we are serious about moving negotiations forward and that you are willing to fight for a fair, equitable contract.

It’s time to Sign the Strike Pledge to unite with your coworkers and settle this contract! Every signed pledge demonstrates our power, our unity, and our strength.

• The strike pledge is not a strike authorization. Your collective action in signing the pledge strengthens our power at the bargaining table, letting the City know you are willing to go on strike, if needed.
• Any member can sign a strike pledge. In the future, only card-signed members can vote on a strike authorization.
• If you haven’t signed your union card yet, it is important that you sign your card!
• The strike pledge is an internal, union document. We won’t be releasing the list of individual signers.  
• Got questions? We want to know! Reach out to Jed at organizer@cppwunion.org

What?​ In person phone banking to support our strike pledge !

When?​ Saturday 6/27, from 10 am until we have called everyone​, sign up for shifts!

Where?​ In person, in Portland, exact location TBD​ – RSVP for details!

Why?​ It works! Phone banking lets us talk member-to-member about what is happening and what we want to do about it. Let’s do it together. Food will be provided!​

Who? You! Any CPPW member, family, and friends are invited!

This has been an unstable time at the City. Uncertainty of the budget, the chaos of core realignment, and being asked to do more with less. Through it all, your union has been fighting layoffs, advocating for sensible core realignment, and bargaining for a strong contract.

A contract is ultimately about stability – knowing the rules, what comes next, and what we can count on.

Your union Bargaining Team has been working to update our contract with the City for almost 150 days. Progress has slowed dramatically.

The City has made three things clear:

• Mayor Wilson wants to permanently eliminate standard cost-of-living increases (COLAs) tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for everyone.
• The economic package the City is offering is not equitable to what the City has negotiated with other unions.
• The City is demonstrating its lack of respect for your work and expertise by rejecting longevity pay, standardized citywide standby & callback pay, and citywide seniority protections. See Bargaining Update Summary and find contract proposals on our website.

CPPW members now have to decide if we are willing to accept the Mayor’ mandate and detach our wages from inflation or fight for a contract that allows all of us to be able to thrive in the city we serve.

See slides with updates about the proposals here (6.3.2026)

What’s Next? Sign the Strike Pledge to help settle this contract!

CPPW Bargaining Reopener Timeline

Prepare for bargaining

We won our first contract by organizing together. Now it’s open again. Four articles are open for bargaining: Article 16-Wages, Article 22-Reductions in Workforce & Layoffs, Article 24-Hours of Work, and Article 27-Standby and Callback Pay.

Direct bargaining

Parties meet to review proposals with a legal obligation to bargain for at least 150 days in attempt to reach an agreement.

Mediation – we are here

If the parties do not reach agreement after 150 days, either party can initiate the mediation process. Mediation lasts a minimum of 15 days.

Impasse

If an agreement isn’t reached during mediation, either party can declare an impasse. Within 7 days of impasse, both parties must submit their final contract offers to the mediator.

Cooling off period

A 30-day cooling-off period follows the publication of the final offers. During this time, the parties may continue to resolve disputes.

CPPW can strike

If no agreement is reached to this point, the City can implement its final proposal without union approval. And, CPPW can strike to demand a better contract than the City’s final offer.

Notes

A “Bargaining Reopener” follows the same steps and timeline as bargaining, following the rules laid out in the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA). Tentative Agreement can be reached at any time. Then, City Council and CPPW card-signed members will vote to ratify or reject the contract.