2026 CPPW Strike FAQs

After the City and Mayor Wilson shut down contract mediation on Thursday, Oct. 22, the following day the CPPW Strike Committee made the decision to formally declare our intent to strike. 

In the emergency general membership meeting held Monday, Oct. 26, your union leadership explained the situation and announced the call for CPPW members to strike beginning Monday, November 9.

Your union is required to provide at least 10 days’ notice of our intent to strike. That formal notice of CPPW’s Intent to Strike will be delivered to the City and the State of Oregon by Friday, Oct. 30.

Our strike will be open ended so we don’t know exactly how long it could be. Historically, strikes at the City don’t last long, but we have to prepare for a long strike to make sure we are ready.

You can find them on the Digital Strike Pack page.

Yes, your Comms Committee will provide one as we get closer to the strike date, it will be posted on your Digital Strike Pack page. You will need to set it up at the end of your last shift before the strike (Friday Nov. 6 for most members).

The City will inform all of its non-striking employees of the strike. Notifying your manager is NOT your responsibility.

If you have colleagues outside of the City that you would like to inform you can do so; however, it is recommended that you do so on personal time. ​

Sometimes your colleagues that work outside the City can be effective at putting pressure on decisions makers. If you have someone who is willing to support our potential strike from outside the City, tell a steward or Contract Action Team member.

Your right to join a lawful strike and talk about it with your coworkers is protected. Retaliation for protected union activity is illegal.If the City threatens, pressures, or disciplines you over union activity, contact a steward immediately.

How to talk to your manager

You can talk to your manager about the strike. You don’t have to. Let your manager know this isn’t personal—it’s about the issues, not your relationship. You don’t have to share your strike plans. CPPW will notify the City. Think strategically about what you share and why.

Do you have a supportive manager?

Managers can:

1. Tell City and bureau leadership how critical your work is.
2. Commit not to recruit replacement workers to cross picket lines.

Our jobs are complex and for most of us it is not possible to adequately train someone to do our work.

If your manager asks you to train your coworkers, ask your coworkers to reach out to their union.

If your manager asks you to train them or other managers, reach out to a CPPW steward directly.

Your right to strike is legally protected. Any retaliation by your employer, including firing, is an unfair labor practice. Your union has your back! If you experience any retaliation, your union will pursue legal action to the fullest extent of the law. 

If you experience threats, discipline, pressure, or retaliation, contact a steward immediately at cppwstewards@cppwunion.org. 

The City will try to continue operations during the strike. Managers, non-striking employees, and contractors will try to do your work. If you cross the picket line, you will be asked to do the work of your striking coworkers.​

We recommend dropping your city-owned devices off at your worksite before the strike begins to prevent accidental crossing of the picket line. However, you don’t have to drop them off as long as they are TURNED OFF during the strike. Find more information in the DOs and DON’Ts section.

It is illegal to fire a worker for striking. This includes employees on probation or working in limited-term positions. Your union will vigorously defend anyone from illegal retaliation.​

If you experience threats, discipline, pressure, or retaliation, contact a steward immediately at cppwstewards@cppwunion.org.

No, you cannot be called back to work by your employer, even for an ‘emergency’. Your right to strike is legally protected, even if the City declares an emergency. 

If you were to report to work, even in a City-declared emergency, you would be crossing the picket line and would lose your legally protected right to strike.

Submitting your timesheet during a strike could be considered crossing the picket line. If you need to submit a timesheet, then you should do it before a strike begins.

Generally, do NOT respond. If you have a personal relationship with your supervisor, use your best judgement. Do not discuss your work.  

Healthcare benefits are paid for the entire month on the first work day of every month. If you’ve been in pay status for one day in the month, you will receive health insurance for the full month.

Beyond one month, the City can choose to maintain your health insurance, but will likely threaten to take away health benefits. Your union will work to time a strike in a way that ensures members have insurance for as long as possible.

Yes, Oregon now allows limited unemployment insurance benefits of up to 10 weeks for eligible striking workers after a two-week waiting period. But signing up for benefits can take weeks, we strongly recommend you start now.

Visit our Unemployment benefits page for all the details.

Strike days are unpaid. You cannot use vacation, comp, or flex time to be paid for days that you are striking.​ If you are scheduled to be on vacation when the strike starts or are scheduled to start vacation during the strike, the City will not pay you, but you will not lose accrued vacation time.

It is possible that the City will cancel all non-protected leave requests as we get closer to a strike.

FMLA and OFLA are protected leaves. 

If you are on a full-time protected leave when the strike begins, you can continue that leave. If your protected leave ends during the strike, you will need to choose whether to join the strike or cross the picket line.

If you have intermittent FMLA leave, then it is possible that the City will uphold that leave, though it is not guaranteed. Consistently scheduled FMLA leave for regular medical treatment (for example, chemo, dialysis, etc.) are more likely to be upheld than irregular leave for emergent conditions (for example, migraines).

If you are not on leave when the strike begins but have a protected leave scheduled to start while you are on strike, please reach out to info@cppwunion.org for individualized support.

For most of these leaves, the answer is essentially the same as the FMLA question.

However, Jury Duty is a little different. Oregonians are able to request that Jury Duty be delayed for up to one year.

From the Oregon Judicial Departments FAQ: “If you are unable to report on your Start Date, you may ask to delay your service for up to one year from your original Start Date. First requests for a deferral may be made online through the Juror Response Form​, or by email, phone, fax or letter. You must submit the initial questionnaire before you can request a deferral.” 

Backpay for striking days can be bargained for at the table. The stronger our strike is the more likely it is that we would be able to win that pay.

At minimum, it will be available for the month of November. Try to use your funds or pre-pay for things as much as possible before the end of the month.

If needed, we will provide updated guidance towards the end of the month.

Stocking up on meds would be a good idea. If your doctor’s appointment is scheduled for November, you should keep it. If you have a doctor’s appointment in December, then you should double check their cancellation policy. Most doctors don’t have a cancellation fee if you cancel far enough in advance.

Yes, Oregon now allows limited unemployment insurance benefits of up to 10 weeks for eligible striking workers after a two-week waiting period.  But signing up for benefits can take weeks, we strongly recommend you start now.

Visit our Unemployment benefits page for all the details.

Preparing in advance for the financial impacts of a strike can help us collectively stay stronger for longer. Dive into details on the Finances of a strike page.

If you can, start saving some money now in case of a strike. October is a 3 paycheck month. If possible, save that paycheck for your personal strike fund. Delay major purchases until after our contract is settled if possible.

Part of settling a strike is negotiating for full back wages for strike days. It is not guaranteed, but will be part of what your union fights for. 

Your union is working to put together a Strike Hardship Fund meant to offer help to members who experience a financial emergency during a strike. Members will need to apply for these funds. The processes for application, review, and decision-making are still being developed. This will not replace your wages.

We’ll also look for a variety of ways to support each other during a strike. Sharing meals, sharing transportation, and supporting each other with childcare are critical to keeping our strike strong. Stay tuned for more information on ways to give and receive help as we move forward together.

Check out the Financial resources page as you put together your strike-ready financial plan.

Back pay is possible, but it is less common than retro pay. Whether striking workers receive back pay depends on negotiations at the bargaining table. Your bargaining team and the City can agree to back pay or different forms of bonus payments.

Yes, you can take another job while on strike, as long as you are not compensated by the City. Be aware that performing work for a contractor that is performing work for the City could be considered crossing the picket line.

Retroactive pay (also called “retro pay”) is common in public sector bargaining, but it is not guaranteed. In both the City’s and CPPW’s last, best, final proposals, the FY 26-27 COLA is retroactive to July 1, 2026.

Yes! COLA adjusts the entire wage scale up, essentially acting as a wage increase for the entire membership.

BHR spent $750,000 on a class comp study with an outside contractor that created a mostly unusable final product. As a result, the project took significantly longer than originally anticipated. The Class Comp study was completed up to Milestone 1, then HR paused the project. There is not a proposed wage step system for this reopener because the class comp study is incomplete.

No. The wage increase is for all members not at the top of their classification wage scale. While success factors is still being used for performance reviews, those reviews are not tied to wages.

Longevity pay, as CPPW has proposed it, is an on-going 2% premium on top of your base wages, not a one-time bonus. 

This is the standard you’ll find in other City contracts.

The language in the current CPPW proposal calculates longevity for all members with 10+ years of continuous service, part and full time.