6 labor unions voting this week whether or not to strike
A bunch of Portland metropolis staff and union leaders held a rally in entrance of Metropolis Corridor previous to a strike authorization vote, January 8, 2022 (KOIN)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland metropolis workers in 6 labor unions started voting Monday whether or not to authorize a strike after their contract negotiations reached an deadlock in latest days.
The District Council of Trade Unions leaders mentioned elected officers must take duty for budgeting higher for his or her work drive.
AFSCME President Rob Martineau instructed KOIN 6 Information they “all present essential companies and they need to not anticipate their staff to try this for lower than the worth of their labor. This isn’t a volunteer group.”
The largest impacts from a strike can be to bureaus that deal with Portland’s water, transportation, improvement companies, policing and funds. It might even have ripple results on all points of metropolis life if greater than 1100 metropolis staff are out on the picket line.
“All of these issues are going to be a direct affect to of us within the metropolis of Portland,” Martineau mentioned.
The voting on whether or not to strike will go on all week. Due to the pandemic, some voting is in particular person, some is on-line. Officers will tally the votes over the weekend and have outcomes by Sunday or Monday.
The 6 unions concerned within the voting are AFSCME Native 189, IBEW Native 48, Working Engineers Native 701, Machinists District Lodge 24, Plumbers Native 290 and Painters and Allied Trades District Council 5.
In an announcement, metropolis leaders mentioned, partially, “We really feel assured that the supply the Metropolis has supplied the District Council of Commerce Unions and its members meets most of the wants raised by the DCTU throughout the course of those negotiations.”
Metropolis officers mentioned these members at the moment make a median wage of greater than $73,000 a yr and that their contract supply contains these key highlights:
- A $1,500 bonus for all DCTU members
- A retroactive 1.6% price of dwelling adjustment (July 2021)
- An anticipated 5% price of dwelling adjustment (July 2022 )
However Martineau mentioned they’ve requested for longevity premiums, increased wages to maintain up with inflation and to correctly compensate individuals for his or her specialties.
“There completely has been financial displacement over the past a number of years in Portland, and our members have very a lot felt that,” he mentioned.
Metropolis staff need to prosper in Portland. Union leaders say that occurs on pay day.
The bargaining groups for each town and the unions are scheduled to fulfill for one more negotiating session on Tuesday.
