Strike Readiness

On August 28th, members of Local 2975 voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. 89% of eligible members cast a ballot, and 90.2% voted yes.

This page explains what that vote did, what Oregon law requires before a strike can legally happen, where we are in that process right now, and what you can do to be ready. We will keep it updated as things change.

What the strike authorization vote did — and did not — do

A yes vote did not start a strike, and it did not set a strike date.

What it did was give your bargaining team the authority to call a strike if one becomes necessary to win a fair contract. That authority is a tool at the bargaining table. It tells management, the City Council, and the community that this membership is united and serious.

Our goal has always been a fair contract. The best way to avoid a strike is to be prepared for one.

What Oregon law requires before a strike

Public employee strikes in Oregon are governed by the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA). Under ORS 243.726, a strike by a strike-permitted bargaining unit is lawful only after all of the following have happened:

The parties have bargained and mediated in good faith under the required procedures.
Impasse has been declared, and both sides have submitted final offers and cost summaries to the state mediator within seven days.
The mediator has made both final offers public, and thirty days have passed since that publication. This is the “cooling off” period.
The union has given ten days’ written notice by certified mail to the Employment Relations Board and to the City, stating its intent to strike and the reasons for it.
The collective bargaining agreement has expired. Ours expired at midnight on June 30, 2026.

Two details worth understanding clearly:

The thirty-day clock starts when the mediator publishes the final offers — not when impasse was declared.
The ten-day notice may be sent during the thirty-day cooling off period. But a strike still cannot begin until after the thirty days have run.

Where we are right now

September 1 — Our bargaining team declared impasse to the City.
September 4 — The City’s final offer and cost summary were made public by the Employment Relations Board.
September 8 — Our final offer and costing were made public. Because the law counts thirty days from the publication of both parties’ final offers, this is the date the cooling off period began.
October 8 — The thirtieth and final day of the cooling off period.
October 9 — The earliest date a lawful strike could begin, if one becomes necessary.

Separately, the law requires ten days’ written notice by certified mail to the Employment Relations Board and to the City before any strike. That notice may be sent during the cooling off period.

Our next bargaining session with management is Friday, September 25th, in person. We are still bargaining, and a settlement remains the goal. Nothing on this page changes that.

What happens when the cooling off period ends

October 8th is the last day of the cooling off period. After that date, both sides gain options they do not have now.

Our union may call a strike, provided ten days’ written notice has been given to the Employment Relations Board and the City.

The City may implement its final offer. This is separate from anything our union does. Once the required steps are complete, a public employer may put the terms of its own final offer into effect without an agreement, a ratification vote, or a signed contract. It may implement all of the offer or only part of it, and under Employment Relations Board case law it must give our union reasonable notice first.

Implementation is not a contract. There is no agreement and no term, and the City’s duty to bargain continues. It also does not take away our right to strike, and any implemented terms would be replaced whenever a contract is reached.

What it would mean in practice is that members receive what is in the City’s offer — and only what is in the City’s offer. The items our bargaining team has been fighting for, including Step 7 and Hazard Pay, are not in it.

What a strike would mean

We want members going into any decision with clear eyes, so here is the honest picture.

You would not be paid by the City for days you are on strike. That is the central hardship of any strike, and it is why we are organizing support in advance rather than at the last minute.

Your health insurance cannot be cancelled simply because you are on strike. The City’s contribution toward your premium is based on hours in paid status during the month — working a shift, or approved vacation or sick leave, both count. Members who reach 88 hours in a month have their premium covered for that month, prorated for part-time.

You would not be forced to use PTO. Pre-approved time off may be honored by the City, but that is not guaranteed. Most time not worked during a strike would be unpaid, and unpaid time does not affect your accruals.

Protected leave is still protected. If you are on FMLA or OFLA leave, you can continue using it during a strike. Pre-approved parental leave should continue uninterrupted.

Oregon law now provides unemployment benefits to striking workers. As of January 1, 2026, workers who have been on strike more than two weeks are eligible for unemployment insurance. It is not full wage replacement, but it helps.

We will have a Strike Fund. It is designed as targeted assistance for members facing hardship, not as a paycheck replacement. Additional resources may be available through Oregon AFSCME and AFSCME International.

Every worker covered by the contract may strike — members and non-members alike — and everyone who does is entitled to the same protections.

Retaliation for union activity is illegal. That includes discussing, supporting, or participating in a strike, and it applies to probationary employees the same as everyone else. If anyone suggests otherwise, tell us immediately.

What we are doing to prepare

Our bargaining team has stood up two strike committees, which began meeting in September:

Logistics — planning and coordination for what a strike would actually involve day to day.
Hardship — organizing support for members who would feel the loss of income most sharply.

If you want to help with either committee, email us. This is work that gets easier the more people share it.

What you can do now

Make sure we can reach you. We need a current non-work email and cell number for every member. Work email is not reliable for union communication.
Come to the monthly member meeting. First Wednesday of every month. These meetings are where decisions get discussed before they get made.
Talk with your coworkers. Especially anyone who has not been following bargaining closely, and anyone who is not yet a member.
Be skeptical of information that does not come from your union. It is common for employers and their attorneys to circulate misleading claims about union proposals during periods like this one, sometimes through supervisors. If something you hear does not sound right, ask us.
If you are not yet a member, join. Non-members are covered by the contract but have no vote on it. Visit join.oregonafscme.org, talk to your steward, or email us.