Updated June 15, 2026
Background
The city has committed to restructuring seven “core service” areas and cutting as much as 20%, impacting as many as 240 CPPW members (about 30%) who work in these areas:
- Communications
- Community engagement
- Equity
- Budget and finance
- Human resources (HR)
- Procurement
- Technology
Your union has been tracking this closely and pushing city managers and the administration to work directly with impacted staff and labor partners instead of making decisions behind closed doors.
Your union has been actively pushing for transparency, worker involvement, and fair treatment throughout this process. Core realignment primarily impacts members of CPPW, Protec17, and AFSCME Local 189.
Throughout the FY 2026-27 budget process, your union alongside others, as well as many of you and your coworkers, advocated intensely for pausing realignments. This included advocacy for all members impacted by layoffs, demotions, and de-unionization and by outlining the many risks and unknowns by rushing a bad process.
Through in-person and written testimony, a march on Mayor Wilson, a labor “summit” with electeds and the administration, direct advocacy to councilors and the administration, impact bargaining, and our grievance procedures, the fight has continued for months up and through the final week of the the budget process.
For realignment areas that are still in progress or moving to a second phase, your union will continue to demand a seat at the table and the participation of our members most impacted.
Important updates
FY 2026-27 budget
As of June 11, 2026, all council budget amendments that would have paused, slowed down, or scaled back realignment have failed. Council is slated to vote on the final budget Wednesday, June 17, deciding then whether to reopen debate on amendments.
Unless the budget is amended further, the City will move forward with core realignment. This includes layoffs (slated for Aug. 3, 2026), as well as hundreds of other personnel actions that impact you and your coworkers, including demotions, de-unionization, or lateral moves that may shift your work, reporting structure, and (in some cases), the funding source for your position.
Documenting impact
Have something to share about how realignment is going? Please fill out the realignment impact survey. This is the same survey we created earlier in 2026 to track potential layoffs and other serious impacts.
Timeline
The realignment of Communications was approved in the fall technical adjustment ordinance (TAO) and went into effect Jan. 2, 2026. As of June 11, 2026 (and unless the budget is reopened for amendments June 17), the areas of HR, Procurement, and Technology are proceeding with additional cuts to Engagement and Equity positions included in the FY 2026-27 budget.
City administrators have not yet proposed a timeline for the area of Budget and Finance, nor any additional phases of realignment for Engagement or Equity, nor if any of the other areas of realignment will be revisited.
The city continues to post updates and limited information on the Core Services Realignment Project page.
The city has also posted a dashboard to show all the layoffs, elimination of vacant positions, demotions, promotions, and lateral moves by bargaining unit and classification.
Status by area
Communications
City lead: Laura Oppenheimer, Chief Communications Officer
Timing: Complete.
Detail: Developed over the course of 2025, included in the Fall 2025 Technical Adjustment Ordinance (TAO) – a mid-year City budget change – this realignment went into effect Jan 2, 2026. Additional lateral moves or moves that switch funding sources of positions were included in the FY 2026-27 budget. In recent communications all-staff meetings, Laura has indicated the next phase will include service level agreements.
Community engagement
City lead (interim): Laura Oppenheimer, Chief Communications Officer
Timing: Some parts of realignment included in FY 2026-27 budget including some layoffs and elimination of vacant positions. Staff have been told a second phase will begin, timing TBD.
Detail: Despite the overlap of communications, equity, and engagement work, this realignment was being developed separately. Staff listening sessions were held Nov. 18 and 20 with at least one in-person follow-up last fall, very little in 2026. With the previous lead put on leave, Laura Oppenheimer has stepped into run this process. Timeline TBD.
Equity
City lead: Latricia Tillman, Chief Equity Officer
Timing: Some vacant positions cut in the FY 2026-27 budget. Timing of realignment TBD.
Detail: No meaningful outreach to staff that we’re aware of, with CPPW told this realignment was on hold until after the results of a contractor hired in fall 2025 to evaluate the realignment (Ben Duncan, hired as a subcontractor of the NEX Strategies contract) and the hiring of a Chief Equity Officer.
HR, Procurement, and Technology
City leads: Ron Zito (Human Resources); Sylvester Donelson (Procurement); Elyse Rosenberg (Technology)
Timing: Alignments pushed through in FY 2026-27 budget.
Detail: These three areas were initially being evaluated together, part of an extensive contract with NEX Strategies that was meeting primarily with upper management over the course of 2025. City leaders held one webinar for staff in mid-December 2025 that provided little concrete information. The assumption is a developed plan would be part of a spring TAO. City leaders did not follow up with a single communication until an email from Tracy Warren to staff late Friday, March 6 to say that some town halls were being planned. Warren’s email did not include links or information to the following week’s Budget Work Session March 11, 2026 where proposed cuts would be aired. City administrators continue to struggle with clear communication and meaningful engagement. Recordings of “town halls” and presentations here.
Budget and Finance
City lead: Jonas Biery, Chief Financial Officer
Timing: Unknown, after the FY 26-27 budget cycle.
Details: Originally, this core service area was being evaluated with HR, Procurement, and Technology, by the same contractor and workgroups of upper management. However, for reasons not shared with labor, the city is not moving forward with core realignment in this area until after the current FY 26-27 budget cycle.
Additional details are on the City employee website under the Core Services Realignment Project (internal City employees site).
Contact
If you have questions, concerns, ideas, or information about how realignment is playing out in your bureau or workgroup, please reach out:
- Stacy Brewster (PBOT), At-Large Board Member – board1@cppwunion.org
- Kari Koch (PP&D), President – president@cppwunion.org
If you are being told that your position is targeted for layoff or there are additional impacts of realignment you want us to know about, please fill out our realignment impact survey so we can track this and connect you with a steward if needed.
Previous letter to City leadership
On October 29, 2025, CPPW’s Executive Board sent a letter to the mayor, City Council, auditor, and the City administrators overseeing each of the seven core service areas (budget/finance, communications, community engagement, equity, HR, procurement, and technology).
The letter lays out critical guidance for how this realignment should be done: with transparency, worker input, and respect for the people doing the work.
The letter was also filed as testimony for the Fall 2025 Technical Adjustment Ordinance (TAO).