Skip to main content
The Oregon Legislature and the the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 89 have reached a tentative agreement to have legislative staff represented by a union, a first in the nation.
The IBEW Local 89 will represent some 140 to 200 legislative aides. The number fluctuates depending on whether the body is in session, Jessica Knieling, interim human resources director at the Legislature, said in an email confirming the agreement.
Leaders of the labor-friendly, Democratic-controlled House and Senate had been under pressure to extend union representation to their own staff for some time. But, as an employer, the Legislature is unusual. Its 90 members make their own hiring decisions and decide independently how to spend their budgets. Members are allowed to hire relatives, and some of those family members are better paid.
For years, aides were often young people willing to work for lower wages in order to break into politics. But the culture began to change with the passage of a 2017 pay equity law. The Legislature hired a consultant to construct a pay scale as part of a move to professionalize the workforce. The IBEW started at organizing drive in late 2020, tapping support from staffers who felt exploited.
The IBEW sought certification of the union from Oregon’s Employment Relations Board. The state objected, arguing that the Legislature was not an appropriate place for a union because it’s composed of 90 independent employers, each of whom entrusts their staff with confidential information. The ERB rejected that argument. Staffers voted to form a union, and the two sides began negotiating a contract.
The sides reached an agreement last week, Knieling said. The contract becomes effective after both sides ratify it, she added. Each article of the 45-page document was initialed throughout the bargaining process.
There are incentives to get the contract finalized soon. If it’s ratified by the union before Nov. 1, legislative salaries will go up by 6.5%, the agreement says. Workers will also get a lump sum payment of $1,500. If it takes longer, the lump sum falls. A final deal before Jan. 1 brings $1,000. After that, it’s $500.