Skip to main content
As contract bargaining with the city of Portland failed once more Wednesday evening, more than 600 frontline city workers who pick up trash, monitor parks, and oversee sewage treatment plants began a strike Thursday morning.
Those workers, all members of the Laborers’ Local 483 union, say working conditions are too dangerous and their pay hasn’t kept up with inflation. For over a year, the union and city officials have attempted to negotiate a contract, but they’ve come to an impasse.
The union represents workers across a number of bureaus, including asphalt rakers and construction equipment operators for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, wastewater specialists at the Bureau of Environmental Services, and parks rangers with Portland Parks & Recreation.
Numbers provided to WW by the Office of Management and Finance offer some insight into what the city’s latest proposal would give the union members.
A wastewater operations specialist who’s worked at the city for over a year would get a pay raise from $40.74 to $47.45 an hour. A parks ranger who’s worked for over a year would get a raise from $25.77 to $31.38 an hour. An asphalt raker’s wages would rise from $31 to 34.93 an hour. A horticulturist’s pay would increase from $32.93 to $37.04 an hour. Construction equipment operators for PBOT and the parks bureau would make $39.52 an hour as opposed to their current rate of $32.64.
According to OMF, pay increases for all represented members who have been with the city for over a year would range from 12.4% to 42.1%.
Union representatives say the latest offer falls short.
“We’re asking for higher wages, safety and respect. Our folks have been working through the pandemic and other related crises, and we perform essential services,” union field representative James O’Laughlen told WW earlier this week. “And we have to deal with the hazards of deteriorating safety conditions. It’s not sustainable for our members.”
The union is asking for a 3.5% wage raise across the board and market adjustments for the past two years that are higher than what the city has so far offered.
The city says it is “moving ahead with contingency plans on personnel coverage and resources for critical operational needs” and would reveal more details about those backup plans Thursday morning.
