Nearly one-fifth of the city of Portland’s unionized workforce could go on strike within the next month if city leaders do not reach a contract agreement with two bargaining units.
The city remains “far apart” on the financial aspects of the contract agreement with the two unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, and the District Council of Trade Unions, or DCTU, according to a Dec. 31 press release from the city.
The unions, which represent more than 1,200 Portland municipal employees, declared an “impasse” last week, the press release said.
City leaders need to fill a $27 million gap in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The city has planned raises to help employees afford the rising cost of living, according to the press release.
“However, any additional commitments would require deeper spending cuts,” the press release said.
The unions include employees working for the Portland Water Bureau, the Bureau of Transportation, the Police Bureau, the Bureau of Fleet and Facilities, Permitting and Developing, Environmental Services and Parks & Recreation.
“The City provided its final offer to DCTU on December 31, (2024) and anticipates releasing the final offer for AFSCME tomorrow. We will provide an update in the coming days,” Cody Bowman, a city spokesperson, said in an email to OPB Thursday.
After final offers and cost agreements, the city and the union go into a “cooling off period” for 30 days. If a contract isn’t reached, DCTU members could strike as early as Jan. 31 and AFSCME members could strike as early as Feb. 3.
Meanwhile, a third union is also negotiating a contract with the city. The City of Portland Professional Workers has requested mediation to help reach an agreement. The union represents about 770 employees.
Union representatives were not immediately available for comment.