Independent Police Review Workers Provide City With 10 Day Strike Notice

PORTLAND - After nearly a year at the bargaining table and seeing zero progress toward a contract with basic successorship language, the 11 Independent Police Review (IPR) staff represented by AFSCME Local 189, provided the City of Portland with the necessary 10 day-notice on Wednesday, October 22nd - that unless the City comes forward with successorship language, IPR workers will go on strike on Wednesday, November 5th.

“We’re asking for concrete language ensuring job security, just a binding agreement that the experienced administrative investigators and staff at IPR will have a guaranteed option to continue to do the important work they’ve dedicated their careers to in the City’s new police oversight system,” said Gayla Jennings, IPR Operations Coordinator and Oregon AFSCME Local 189-5 Chapter Chair.

IPR’s bargaining team has been in mediation with the City since August 21st, but to date, the City has failed to provide meaningful proposals or analysis of their position on many of these items. Most concerning is their failure to collaboratively engage in providing information to help IPR employees thoughtfully plan for what options would be available to them to continue employment with the City after the transition of oversight systems.

These investigators are vital to increased accountability and public transparency. Day after day, they show up to do the work that we all rely on as neighbors and community leaders. 

IPR workers declared an impasse on September 9, yet they have continued to participate in mediation. Their third mediation session was October 14, and a fourth is scheduled for November 4.

“Without a revised path forward, there will be more delays in implementing the new system, which will erode police accountability and ignore the will of the voters,” said Joe Baessler, Oregon AFSCME Executive Director. 

“The end result of their contract should ensure timely, best practices that support Portland’s ongoing safety for our community and the workers who provide transparency and oversight,” continued Baessler. 

Oregon AFSCME believes in economic and social justice for all Oregon workers and their families. Our mission is to empower and unite workers to create change in their workplaces and communities. Oregon AFSCME represents over 40,000 workers in the public sector. Our members work for the State of Oregon in addition to counties, municipalities and behavioral health nonprofits across Oregon as well as self-employed child care providers. For more information visit: www.OregonAFSCME.org.

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