City of Portland Professional Workers Union
We are a group of City employees who came together to form a union with our other non-represented colleagues in 2023. We are organizing together to have a voice in the workplace on issues that affect our work, our careers, our families, and our City.
CPPW currently represents about 800 members in the following classifications:
Administrative Specialist I, II, III
Analyst I, II, III
Coordinator I, II, III
Environmental Regulatory Coordinator
Financial Analyst I, II, III
Multimedia Specialist
Technology Business Representative
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The union is led by an elected volunteer committee of City of Portland employees – the Executive Board.
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2025-2027 Executive Board
Meet the leaders that you elected
Kari Koch (She/They), President
Permitting & Development, Coordinator II, Policy Coordinator
“Our union gave us power and a voice. The union gives me purpose – I am not just working my job, I am thinking about the role that workers can have in making our City great. Action is the antidote to despair and our union is my outlet for action. It brings me hope in these dark times. I see how much regular people care, how hard we work, how willing we are to fight for what we believe in, and how powerful we are when we work together.”
Meg Wren (She/They), Vice President
Bureau Planning & Sustainability, Analyst I, File & Records Specialist
“I’ve always been someone who steps in when something feels broken or unjust. When I joined the City, it was immediately clear that workers needed a place where their experience actually mattered and their labor was taken seriously. CPPW felt like home from the start: worker led, honest, and committed to building real power together.”
Riley Berger (She/They), Secretary
Portland Water Bureau, Program Specialist, Coordinator I
I’m excited to contribute to CPPW any way I can, whether that’s participating on the Contract Action Team, becoming a steward, acting as the “art department” or just making sure coworkers know they can ask me about anything union-related. As Executive Board Secretary, I know I can contribute my energy and skills to keep building our union.
Chris Gustafson (He/Him) Treasurer
Portland Housing Bureau, Financial Analyst III, Accounting Lead
I am a dedicated labor activist and committed to ensuring financial transparency, accountability, and equity for all members of the CPPW family. Looking forward, I would be keen to establish programs for the membership that encourage financial literacy and preparedness. Having a united membership with the resources to stay on the picket line for several weeks is the most powerful tool the Union has at our disposal in contract negotiations.
Jed Arkley (He/Him), Chief Organizer
Portland Parks and Recreation, Coordinator II, Event Producer
“The first was the realization that, when my position was non-represented, almost all the benefits I had at the City (pay, time off, health insurance, etc.) were because of the work of the other unions at the City. Second, during Covid, it became quite apparent that our positions were at risk of layoff or wage freezes because we were non-represented.”
Kevin Block (He/Him), Chief Steward
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Coordinator II, Franchise Utility Program Permitting and Policy Coordinator
“For the past 50 years the working class in America has become weaker and the richest have taken near complete control of our institutions. When I learned about CPPW I saw and opportunity to build solidarity with my coworkers and participate in an organization that was by, for, and of the working class. In my specific role for the City, I lead our legislative and regulatory efforts to protect local control of the publicly owned right-of-way. Giant corporations such as AT&T, Comcast, and T-Mobile would love to be able to rip up our public property at will and make billions of dollars through the use of a public asset without paying their share for the services that make our City run. I don’t trust City management to properly tell the story of the importance of this service, so we will tell that story collectively through our Union.”
Stacy Brewster (He/Him), Member At Large 1
Portland Bureau of Transportation, Coordinator II, Content Producer
“I contribute my comms and production expertise as well as my tenure at the city. But like many of our members, this is my first time in a union. I want to help more members pivot to a union mindset through continued action, advocacy, transparency, and integrity. I am focused on the city’s core realignment work, collaborating with our comms team to tell more member stories, and issues like return to office mandates.”
Myrna Aracely Ortiz (She/Her), Member At Large 2
Portland Police Bureau, Coordinator I, Victim Services Specialist / Crime Victim Advocate
“I got involved in my union because I believe in standing up for fairness and supporting my coworkers.
Through this role, I hope to contribute by being a reliable resource, strengthening communication, and helping ensure everyone feels informed, valued, and represented.”
Kimberly Campbell-Groen (She/They), Member At Large 3
Bureau of Environmental Services, Analyst III, Training and Workforce Development
“I believe in the power of collective individual action. With everything happening at a federal level, it felt really important to me to engage at a local level.
I want to do what I can to help employees at CPPW and within our community amidst these uncertain times.”
The City of Portland Professional Workers Union (CPPW)
PO Box 8193
Portland, OR 97207