Portland Mayor-elect Keith Wilson wants city employees back in the office for the bulk of their week.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
A call from Portland’s next mayor to require city employees work from the office more frequently isn’t sitting well with many city staff.
At a virtual town hall meeting with around 1,400 city employees Thursday morning, Mayor-elect Keith Wilson shared plans to require them to work at least four days a week at the office – up from the current mandate that they’ll work in person for half of their work week.
Employees immediately flooded the meeting’s chat box with alarm, citing concerns about childcare, parking costs, the climate impacts of transportation to the office, and other issues.
“There is a huge talent pool made up of workers who are more productive, more efficient, and better able to contribute to the City’s mission when they can do that work remotely, at least some of the time,” one employee wrote in the chat. “It is critical that decision makers recognize that remote work opportunities are essential for equity.”
The current “hybrid work” requirement was established on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered many city offices. Today, about 40% of the city’s 7,000-person workforce are hybrid workers, according to the city.
According to several city staff who attended the morning meeting, Wilson said the office requirements would help stimulate the downtown economy and strengthen city departments. His reference to the policy of a “return to work” requirement ruffled feathers.
“That indicates, by working remotely, we aren’t necessarily working... which is insulting and infuriating,” wrote one employee in the chat.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, the mayor-elect declined to comment on his proposal.
“We’re not ready yet to talk about it,” said Wilson, who formally begins his new job on Jan. 1.
Wilson wasn’t shy about his desire to bring city employees back to the office on the campaign trail – in fact, this interest cost him endorsements from several city labor groups. He has personally pledged to work long hours at City Hall. In a recent interview with OPB, Wilson said he plans to work seven days a week once he enters office
“But I can’t ask people to do the same as me,” he said. “I’m very appreciative when people will come in on Saturday, but I don’t expect people to try and meet my level. But that does drive others to perform better.”
Before making any changes to workplace requirements, the city would need to negotiate contract changes with each of its 14 public labor unions.
Labor unions are already pushing back on the proposal. Paul Cone, a Bureau of Technology Services employee and president of the city chapter of PROTEC 17, said he’s sure the city will see a “brain drain” of staff quitting if Wilson mandates stricter in-office requirements. PROTEC 17 represents 950 employees spread across city departments, inducing the bureaus of Portland Permitting & Development, Environmental Services, Parks, and Transportation.
“We have proven that we can be a flexible, efficient workforce while working hybrid,” Cone said. “This mandate, that’s not flexibility. I really don’t think this is the hill he should die on.”
This news comes amid other rising tensions between city leadership and its labor unions. This week, the Portland City Council gave city lawyers permission to file an unfair labor complaint against American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 189, alleging the union violated its contract by picketing this fall.
AFSCME, which represents more than 1,000 city employees, is one of three public unions currently in negotiations with the city as their contracts near expiration.
