We’re calling on Multnomah County leadership to STOP THE LAYOFFS, maintain the services we provide to our community, and protect our livelihoods.
The public is watching, and so are we. Stop the layoffs.
This is a public petition and names will be shared with the County when we reach our goal.
Sign the petition below. Print and post this on your worksite union bulletin board to share this with your colleagues.
Dear Commissioners,
We are AFSCME Local 88, we represent over 4,000 Multnomah County workers. Every single day, we keep the County running to support the strength, health and vibrancy of our communities. Unfortunately, many of us received notice that our positions are being eliminated. These layoffs put our livelihood at risk, and still we show up to uphold the County’s Mission, Vision, and Values that we’re not seeing in return.
We all know the County consistently outperforms budget forecasts, recording more revenue than forecasted and spending less than budgeted. The County also maintains very healthy budget reserves available fund balance in the general fund totals $155 million. Additionally, the County maintains the highest possible credit rating, with credit agencies citing the County’s “very large, economically diverse tax base” and “largely stable revenue source.”
Laying off staff right now is unnecessary and harmful, especially when County financial results consistently turn out better than what’s forecast. Vital services are being cut that will weaken the trust workers have built with the community and damage employee morale at large. Losing the people who provide services also degrades the support of taxpayers, and hurts recruitment.
There are alternatives to layoffs – cutting executive contracts and consultants, paring back non-personnel costs, and reallocating funds from other parts of the general fund reserves. One option would be to shift money from capital asset improvements to avoid layoffs.
We’re calling on you to act now, in the interest of the people who keep the County running. We keep Multnomah County safe, healthy, and running when all else fails. We are the ones who innovate, pivot, collaborate and care often while being underpaid and overworked, to the point of burnout, injury, and disability. The County has claimed they care about workers’ health, promoting living-wage jobs for us and our communities. But, in the face of financial, housing, public health and climate crises, the County is choosing to cut jobs that would protect against them.
Let the money reflect the County’s values and keep the employees and services that taxpayers have invested in.
The public is watching, and so are we. Stop the layoffs.
Respectfully,
AFSCME Local 88
