This reopener is about compensation and recognition for the work we do and the skills we bring – plus the protections we deserve.
Watch the video to see how you and your coworkers work together to win the strong contract we all deserve.
Author: Meg Wren
Tentative Agreement Reached
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Friday, May 23, 2025
Contact: Leigh Shelton 503-875-8410 or leighsheltonmcleod@gmail.com
City of Portland Professional Workers Union and City reach tentative agreement
One day after announcing strike authorization, proposed deal paves way for professional workers’ first contract
PORTLAND – The bargaining team for the City of Portland Professional Workers Union (CPPW) has reached a tentative agreement with the City for its first-ever contract.
Next, members will have the chance to ratify the proposed deal through a vote.
The union represents 800 professional staff doing essential City services across nearly every bureau, and who have been working without a contract since voting overwhelmingly to unionize in 2023. For many workers, it’s their first time in a union.
“It’s exhilarating to have the city recognize the value of our work and have it codified in a first contract,” said Dr. Robert Layne, a senior communications strategist in Portland Solutions, and first-time union member who testified in front of City Council about negotiations on Thursday.
Layne says he plans to vote “yes” on the agreement.
Dozens of CPPW members have testified in front of City Council over the past year to describe the crucial yet often invisible work they do to keep Portland operating. Members also voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, the union announced on Thursday, with 92% voting in support. The tentative deal means a strike is off.
CPPW President Kari Koch said the first contract includes expansive layoff and recall protections to meet the needs of a changing City structure, wage increases and cost of living adjustments, an additional one-time leave bonus for eligible members, flexibility and protections for remote work, and a formal grievance process.
“This tentative agreement is a monumental win for our union,” said Koch. “I’m so proud of our united and determined members who volunteered thousands of hours to make this agreement possible.”
Anamaría Pérez, a data analyst in the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and volunteer on the union bargaining team, said the 15-month experience helped her build deep relationships with her co-workers. “They were my co-workers who I didn’t know. Now they’re my friends,” Pérez said. “This experience reaffirmed that solidarity and collective action works.”
Perez said the union negotiated a “solid” first contract.
“I’m feeling joy, pride and relief that we achieved such a solid contract,” said Perez.
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For more information, visit cppwunion.org, or contact Leigh Shelton at 503-875-8410 to interview a union official or member.
Bargaining Update – 4/25 Mediation Session
In two mediation sessions this week, CPPW stayed strong on our priorities.
TL;DR – We are still making progress, so have not reached impasse. But we are also getting much clearer on the places where the City is refusing to move and meet the needs of their workers.
New alignment with the City:
- Working out of Class – Paid 5% for working out of class after day one.
- Overtime: Hours paid in a week count towards overtime accumulation, not just hours worked. If you work overtime one day but also take a sick day, you still get overtime pay for those hours worked over 40.
- Deferred holidays – 2 end-of-year rollover for everyone & 10 roll over for members with alternative work schedules. All deferred holidays paid out as part of City layoff package.
- Expansion of Standby pay to include BES Comms staff.
- Promotions get 5% pay increase.
- Tribal and Citizenship Leave on City paid time (similar to jury duty). Time off does not come out of accruals.
- Contract Duration – Contract ends Dec 31, 2027 (bonus: aligns with end of AFSCME 189 contract) and agree to a reopen economics, layoff protections and a few other articles that will be affected by the Classification redesign in Jan 2026.
CPPW Movement:
- Telework/Work location is still a top priority. And, the City has given us a hard no on our proposal to limit the City’s ability to control our worksite location. We have to reckon with the reality that we cannot legally strike over this issue, so our power at the bargaining table is limited to secure hybrid as standard or solidify the status quo.
- The Bargaining Team has pivoted and is focusing on putting whatever parameters around our right to maintain current telework agreements, request new agreements, and put up guardrails into the contract to delay any return to office mandates.
- CPPW has political power around telework – just like we stopped the Mayor’s in-person mandate in January, we will keep working outside the bargaining table to secure the flexibility we deserve!
No Movement:
- Economics – the City wants a 2% across the board wage increase, CPPW wants 4%. CPPW holds strong on 2% longevity pay. These increases are modest, reasonable, and have a very small impact on City budget.
- CPPW members lost nearly 2000 hours of earned vacation time this year. We are holding strong on vacation cash out for up to 40 hours a year.
- CPPW members at PBEM are working nearly 650 hours of uncompensated standby every year. PBEM is claiming poverty despite the nearly 1:1 manager to staff ratio in the bureau and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on outside contractors. This cost is around $50,000 – they can afford it! We hold firm that these are essential staff who deserve to be paid for their work!
- Performance Incentive Leave – Incentivize strong performance with additional leave of up to 40 hours each year.
- Layoff protections – The City proposed a new system based on time in current classification and seniority protections by classification within a bureau (the term ‘Bureau’ includes newly created ‘offices’ like Administrator and central services as well). CPPW pushed back to add Service Area to seniority protection placement. The City rejected this expansion.
- Protections for layoff, discipline, or management by AI software.
Next mediation session: Thursday, May 1st
Bargaining Update – April 2025
We are coming to the end of our bargaining – one way or another. As we enter this pivotal bargaining season, there are several opportunities this month to get updates on what’s happening in mediation, where we are at, where the City is at, and what we have to do to get the contract we deserve.
Our members are our greatest strength! Many of you have shown up to make your voices heard and it’s had a true impact on City leaders.
This spreadsheet shows some of the most important articles and how our position compares to what the City has stated they want.
Executive Board Election Results
Welcome to the newest Executive Board members:
At Large Position 1 (Portland Building):
Stacy Brewster (he/him), Coordinator II, PBOT
Stacy has worked at the city since 2008, first as a Commissioner’s Rep in City Hall for 10 years, then as a Coordinator on the communications team at PBOT as a writer, copy editor, and web lead, with a policy and training focus on language access, digital accessibility, and plain language. A longtime member of the Queer Alliance and City Disability Network resource groups, he is a staunch advocate for queer, trans, and disability rights in the workplace, including hybrid and remote work. An Oregon Literary Arts fellow in drama, and published fiction writer and poet, Stacy has also worked in television, advertising, nonprofits, publishing, and political campaigns. He’s focused on securing a strong contract, growing our capacity to connect with both new and seasoned staff, and helping guide our communications for the fights to come.
At Large Position 2:
August Burns (they/them), Coordinator II BPS (Multifamily and Commercial Building Decarbonization Project Manager for PCEF)
I’ve been with the city for about a year and a half in total, with PCEF since August 2024. I’m looking forward to helping advocate for a strong contract, equitable policies, and strong member engagement. I hope to put my community digital engagement and website management skills to use for the good of the union. I want to help build whatever systems and tools are needed to support the growth of CPPW & our members. This work and union are important to me because I am a lifetime Portlander; I believe in this city and the workers that bring it to life – a strong and supported union make for a great workforce, which in turn makes a great city. I’m honored to be apart of this.