City Council Staff Seeks to Unionize

A group of staffers working for Portland City Council offices is seeking to unionize the legislative staff at the city.

That’s according to four people with close knowledge of the situation who say that organizers—a group of council staffers—have received a majority of union authorization signatures from eligible staff, the threshold to begin the process of forming a union. It’s not clear which staff led the initiative, and which offices they work in.

Each of the 12 councilors have between three and six staffers apiece. Each councilor can independently set salaries for staff using their individual office budgets.

Council offices’ shared staffers—who coordinate for the entire council and for specific districts—would also be included in the union if it’s successfully established and recognized.

Staff is seeking to become a chapter under the Communications Workers of America Local 7901.