Bargaining Update – November 24, 2025

Bargaining Update #41

CBA: collective bargaining agreement

DCJ: Department of Community Justice

PTU: Patient Transportation Unit (activated during County emergencies)

COLA: cost of living adjustment

JVP: Jessica Vega Pederson (chair of Multnomah County commissioners)

JwJ: Jobs with Justice

GM: general membership (meeting)

AWF: America’s Workforce (labor podcast)

TA: tentative agreement

We have our first mediation date with the County scheduled for Monday, December 8th. Sign-up to observe our next bargaining session on December 4th via this link. 

County Proposals

Non-Packaged Proposals

Article 13

  • The County agreed to allow employees to travel back to their regularly assigned work site during their shift after a same-day reassignment, unless the County is unable to find coverage for the travel time period or there is another valid business reason. 

Article 21

  • The County rejected our proposal for all On-Call employees who have moved into regular status after June 30th, 2025 to have their seniority calculated by adding their total number of hours worked divided by forty (40) to determine weeks of seniority earned. 

Package #5 (a package is either accepted as-is or rejected in total)

Article 2

  • The County had originally proposed using temporary employees to cover regular-status employees on leave for up to eighteen (18) months, but in this proposal they agreed to our cap of up to nine (9) months. 

Article 10

  • The County again declined to accept our language proposing a standardized practice for an employee to receive paid admin leave after experiencing a critical incident at work. 

Article 15

  • The County accepted our last proposal to allow retroactive pay up to nine (9) months for a reclassification request, effective the date the employee submitted an updated draft of their position description to their department human resources and supervisor.

Article 22

  • The County accepted our proposed definition for work-out-of-class assignments.

Article 24

  • The County accepted our opening statement against discrimination.
  • The County accepted our language defining a microaggression as “commonplace and casual verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities and denigration against a marginalized group or identity…”

Addendum E

  • The County maintained their position that any travel time completed during an employee’s shift should be approved in advance by their supervisor.

Addendum K

  • The County rejected our proposal for a standardized hiring practice for limited duration positions.

Addendum L

  • The County maintained their position that On-Call and Temporary employees shall not benefit from our full collective bargaining agreement (CBA). 

Addendum M

  • The County rejected our proposal for Food Services Workers in DCJ to receive the jailside assignment premium for all hours worked.

Addendum N

  • The County accepted our proposal for employees who were scheduled to work a regular shift, volunteered for a shelter shift, and had the shelter shift cancelled to be compensated at their regular rate for the lost time.
  • The County rejected our proposal to compensate employees who were not scheduled to work a regular shift but volunteered for a shelter shift and had the shift cancelled without an hour and a half’s notice to receive one and a half hour of pay at their base rate. 
  • The County rejected our proposal to ensure that PTU transportation is available to help employees arrive safely to the shelter sites they have volunteered at. 
  • The County is maintaining their position that they would like to reassign employee volunteers to any teams or tasks without their consent.

Union Proposals

Non-Economic Package

Our bargaining team provided a counter to the County’s non-economic package. We accepted their proposals for Articles 2, 15, 22, and 24 and Addendums E, K, M, and N, with modifications to Article 10 and Addendum L.

Article 10

  • We proposed that upon ratification of this contract, a committee be formed to develop a County-wide Critical Incident Leave policy to be implemented within six (6) months and with feedback from an equal number of representatives from the Union and the County.

Addendum L

  • We proposed that On-Call employees can only be terminated for just-cause after reaching 1040 hours worked with the County.

Economic Package

We presented Addendum B, Article 14, and Article 29 as an economic package to the County.

  • We did not re-propose an increase to lead premiums at this time, but proposed the following for our COLA: 
    • 3.5% increase with a minimum wage increase of $1 per hour effective July 1st, 2025
    • 3% – 8% increase with a minimum wage increase of $2 per hour effective July 1st, 2026
    • 3% – 8% increase with minimum wage increase of $2 per hour effective July 1st, 2027
  • We also proposed language that would resolve the recurring issue of employees being “frozen” in their rate of pay.
  • We proposed that employees not be held liable for any overpayments that have been reported to the County once investigation has exceeded 45 days.
  • We re-proposed Training Pay and specified that Lead Workers would not be eligible for this premium. 

Action Items & Upcoming Events

Vote for JVP as Scrooge of the Year!

Every year Jobs with Justice (JwJ) holds a competition to name the worst boss in Portland, otherwise known as the Scrooge of the Year. In light of our challenges at the bargaining table this cycle, the Bargaining Team submitted County Commissioner Chair Jessica Vega Pederson (JVP) as a contestant for Scrooge of the Year. You can read a poem highlighting all of the Scrooge-worthy actions here.

Join the Local 88 Strike Fund Committee!

At our AFSCME Local 88 General Membership (GM) meeting on April 16th, a motion was brought forward and passed for our Local to create a Strike Fund by setting aside $250,000 of our reserve funds. A Strike Fund Committee has formed to determine: 

  • eligibility criteria for receiving financial support from the Strike Fund
  • how and when disbursements from the Strike Fund can occur
  • how the Strike Fund can be supplemented 

In addition, the Strike Fund Committee will facilitate member education around strike-readiness as individuals and as a Union, with a focus on self-sustainability and fostering connections and solidarity with community allies. Sign-up to participate in our AFSCME L88 Strike-Fund Committee by filling out this Google form. 

Remember, having a strike fund or being strike ready does not mean we have to strike. Only you, the membership, can decide if we strike by a super majority membership vote; neither the bargaining team, cabinet or union president can just declare a strike. Being strike ready is a tool our Union can use to build power and show management our strength and solidarity.

Did You Know?

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 our Instagram and Local 88 Facebook!

In Solidarity, 

Your Bargaining Team

Questions? Email us at bargaining@afscmelocal88.org

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