Bargaining Update – August 11, 2025

Bargaining Update #26

This week, your bargaining team focused on finalizing six non-economic counter-proposals and developing our financial counters. We also reviewed the member survey that was sent out on July 31st and will be closing on August 12th. Our work this week included the following articles. The full language of these proposals will be shared with our members once they have been proposed to management at our session on August 14th.

  • Article 2: Trial Service, Probation, and Performance Evaluation

  • Addendum E: Auto Reimbursements and Transit Subsidies

  • Article 13: Work Schedules

  • Article 26: General Provisions

  • Article 25: Safety and Health

Member Survey: Initial Results

We want to give a huge thank you to the over 350 members who have already responded to our bargaining priorities survey so far! Your input is a powerful force for our team. Here’s some of what we’ve heard from you:

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): A significant majority of you (over 60%) have identified an increased COLA as your number one economic priority.

  • Many of you said you would be willing to send a letter to support a fair contract. Join our letter campaign! Read more in the Actions section below.

Your comments resonated with us. Some of the comments that stuck out were:

  • “We can not survive on these wages”

  • “We are tired of being stepped on by the higher ups.”

  • “I support a strike for long terms gains”

  • “Thank you for standing up for us”

  • “Cola’s need to be what the current cost of living is”

  • “We are working in an environment of fear from federal to local with threats of staffing cuts”

Action Items & Events

Many of you shared an email you received from the County about the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) which told represented staff to reach out to our union to find out why they have not received it yet. What they failed to share is that we are in contract negotiations with County management who have been unwilling to work with us on our proposals to get a living wage for our members. Instead they have said things like:

  • “We are maintaining the status quo,” when offering a 2.4% COLA

  • “We are never going to get to $27 an hour.” The wage increase we proposed to get our lowest paid workers to a living wage.

  • “We pay a fair wage, not a living wage.” Even though the County is an advocate for a living wage in our community, which should include us!

We wanted to let you know, we are still fighting for a fair and equitable contract that seeks to support and advocate for all of us. It is normal for us to go beyond the July 1 date for COLAs during bargaining and our negotiated wage increase will be applied to your pay retroactive to July 1st.  

If you are interested in a fair and equitable contract that includes a living wage or at the very least, more than the 2.4% the County is proposing, which is less than $.50 for our lowest paid members, then please click the link below and join us in sending a letter to Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and the other commissioners so they are aware of how management is devaluing us as workers and not taking seriously our proposals, both financial and non-financial.

  • Workers of Multnomah County Deserve a Living Wage!

  • Bargaining Priorities Survey: The survey is still open! Please take a few minutes to fill it out and share your feedback on our priorities for a fair contract. The survey will close on Tuesday, August 12th as we need this information to strengthen our final push in priorities.

  • 08/12/25 from 6:30 – 7:30pm: Virtual Trivia with Local 88 Show off your Union know-how and win a prize! Join via this local 88 virtual trivia link.

  • Labor Day Picnic: Mark your calendars! We are planning a Labor Day Picnic for Monday, September 1st, from 11 AM to 2 PM at Powell Park (2500 SE Powell Blvd, Portland OR 97202). It’s a great opportunity to connect with your fellow members, enjoy food, games, a bounce house, and raffle prizes. The event is free for all Local 88 members and their guests. Here’s a flyer you can put on your union board and share with members

  • Update your Profile Images and backgrounds: One simple way to show your support for the best possible contract is to change your virtual meeting backgrounds and profile images. You can find instructions and lots of beautiful images to use here!

  • Follow Us on Social Media: Stay up to date on all the latest news by following AFSCME Local 88 on Instagram and Facebook!

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