Strike 101
Striking is more than just not showing up to work. It’s a massive collective effort to withhold our labor. A strike shows our employer that the services Portlanders rely on don’t happen without us.
During a strike do not report to work and do not use any City systems or property. (See Strike DOs and DON’Ts below for more details!)
A successful strike needs visible participation from all of us! This is how we show the City that we will stand strong together. It’s an expression of our collective power in negotiations.
Not everyone can join every strike activity, but there are ways for each member to contribute. You can:
- Join picket lines and rallies
- Help with organization and logistics
- Talk to community members
- Support each other with food, childcare, and transportation
- Tell your stories on social media & mainstream media
- And more!
How to prepare for a strike
What you can do now
- Make sure you can stay in contact with your union without access to City systems.
- Sign up for our email list using your personal email and phone number.
- Follow CPPW on Instagram.
- Join the CPPW Discord.
- Save copies of important employment information like paystubs and tax documents.
- Make a personal financial plan. (See financial resources page for details.)
- Create or gain access to your State of Oregon Employment Department (OED) account to be ready to apply for unemployment—more on our Unemployment benefits page.
What to do in the days before the strike
- Remove any personal items from your workspaces that you may need during a strike.
- Plan to return all City devices to your office, if not possible, put them away in a safe place where you won’t accidentally access them.
- Uninstall all work-related applications from your personal devices and fully sign out of work accounts on apps like instagram.
Strike DOs and DON’Ts
Striking includes disconnecting from your work both physically and digitally.
If you ignore your union’s strike and engage in work while your coworkers are striking, it’s called crossing the picket line. Once you cross the picket line, you can’t uncross it—you lose your legally protected right to strike.
Crossing the picket line digitally counts as crossing the picket line, so be careful!
Crossing the picket line weakens the strike and harms your coworkers. The stronger we stand together, the stronger our position at the bargaining table.
Do
- City devices (laptop or City phone): either:
- Drop off at your worksite before strike starts (recommended)
- Keep at home TURNED OFF and tucked away in a drawer or closet.
- Personal devices: Remove any City applications (like Teams or Outlook) before the strike starts
- Join the picket: Join your coworkers at rallies and on the picket line
- Support the strike: Look for other ways to support the strike – being creative is encouraged
Don’t
- Do not do any City work
- Do not report to any City worksite
- Do not check work messages or work email on City or personal devices
- Do not connect to any City networks on any devices
- Do not use any City-owned:
- desktops, laptops, iPhones, iPads, or other equipment
- P-cards
- take-home vehicles
- equipment
- apps (Outlook, Teams, etc) on personal devices
- Microsoft products through online browsers from personal devices
Answers to common strike questions
You’ve been asking questions, and your union has been answering! Check out our comprehensive 2026 CPPW Strike FAQ page for information on:
- Logistics
- Benefits and leave
- Pay and finances
Financial resources
Planning ahead for the personal financial impacts of strike can help us be prepared to stand strong together. Do not wait until you are on strike to make your plan!
Get all the details on our Finances and unemployment benefits page.