PORTLAND, OR – Yesterday, City of Portland workers represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 189 voted 87% in favor of a strike, with 89% of members participating in the vote. After months of negotiations, the city still refuses to meet workers’ needs including in-person reporting incentives and pay equity across the city’s workforce.
The city and AFSCME Local 189 are meeting today for their final scheduled mediation.
“We’re going into our final mediation session today with a goal of settling this contract for the nearly 1,100 city employees who show up every day to make our city work” said AFSCME Local 189 President Rob Martineau. “Our hope is that the city comes to the table with the same goal”.
When the city continued to refuse wage increases that reflect the high cost of living in Portland, the union bargaining team declared an impasse last month. One of the biggest concerns has been securing a living minimum wage, ensuring no position would make less than $27.04, which is based on the MIT Living Wage calculator.
“No Portland worker should be paid less than a living wage. We’re fighting to ensure that the city honors its values, by valuing those workers who keep Portland running,” said Dave Crepeau, a Service Dispatcher with the City of Portland Parks Department.
Should mediation end without a deal, AFSCME Local 189’s bargaining team is now authorized to make the decision if and when to issue the required 10 day strike notice.
###
