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More than 700 formerly unrepresented city employees voted to form the City of Portland Professional Workers union on Tuesday, June 6.
The newly formed union represents financial analysts, multimedia specialists, hearings officers and others from nearly every bureau in the city, and is now the second-largest independent union in the state.
What has now officially become the CPPW union began collecting signatures as early as January in an attempt to establish the new union. It submitted a petition in May with 39% of employees’ signatures, breaking the 30% threshold that allows a potential union to call for a vote. Three hundred eighty-five ballots—representing a 54% turnout—were cast by potential union members, with 306 votes in favor of unionization.
Connor Anderson, a representative for the union and an IT business consultant at the city, says the goal is for its members to be able to advocate just as strongly as already represented city workers.
“Some of our members have been working harder for less pay for the last three years,” Anderson says. “We’re going to bargain for the rights and benefits that are enjoyed by the other unionized members of the city employee base.”
There have been attempts to join local unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in the past that fell short, Anderson says, which is what led to the workers leading the charge themselves. Anderson says the CPPW will likely remain independent.
“I’m just super excited,” Anderson says. “We hope to open bargaining as soon as possible.”