June 2026 Bargaining Update

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)

On June 11th, the City agreed to move negotiations to mediation with a state mediator for the Employment Relations Board.

It can take time to get assigned a mediator, CPPW Bargaining Team is ready and prepared to work with the City at any time to settle a strong contract!

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

2026 Bargaining Timeline

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.

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.

Contract is Ratified! City Council Voted Yes (6/18/25) And with 89% member turnout, 98% of CPPW members voted yes to ratify the contract!

Read the the final contract text (Signed PDF/ Word)
Summary of key items has been updated to include details of accessing pofessional development funds, limits on retroactive use of leave, & specific contract language where useful.

• Virtual Swag • The CPPW Discord •

Sign your Union Card today!

Is the City Trying to Scare Us?

Did Halloween come early this month?

Were you spooked by Michael Jordan’s message yesterday connecting our current bargaining and the city’s budget next year? Did you hear the ghostly whispered threat of layoffs? In this year of relentless, ongoing change and transition, don’t let these tricks scare you.

The three unions, CPPW and our partners at AFSCME and DCTU, bargaining now for fair contracts are absolutely not to blame for the city’s finances.

Continue reading Is the City Trying to Scare Us?