Some 800 city workers are on strike after an eleventh-hour mediation session over the weekend failed to resolve outstanding wage disputes between the city and one of its unions.

“Hey hey, ho ho, this disrespect has got to go,” chanted a group of over 100 members of the City of Portland Professional Workers union, or CPPW, who picketed outside Portland City Hall Monday.

CPPW represents city workers in positions across the entire city, ranging from financial analysts to emergency management workers to technology staff to administrative aides.

“We call ourselves the glue keeping the city from falling apart,” said Stacy Brewster, a communications worker with the Portland Bureau of Transportation who is also on the CPPW board. “But we are behind the scenes, which is why I feel like this is why our work isn’t as understood by the mayor and administration. It’s disappointing.”

CPPW was formed in 2023 and adopted its first two-year contract last year. Its members have spent the past eleven months negotiating with the city over wage increases and layoff protections — an unfinished piece of that original contract that both parties had agreed to finalize this year.

The city said CPPW has asked for nearly $20 million in wage increases and benefits, an amount that’s beyond the city’s means.

CPPW said this calculation is flawed, because it includes costs for 100 vacant positions and jobs cut during the city’s latest budget process. The union said their estimated increase is closer to $9 million.

“Our union represents all the data and financial analysts of the city,” said Brewster. “So we trust our numbers are accurate.”

The city said many of those vacancies will be filled, which is why they are included in their cost estimate.

The two sides met Sunday for a final mediation session before the planned strike. But they couldn’t reconcile their differences over the five-hour meeting.

“A significant gap remains between the parties’ proposals, particularly around additional wage increases and their ongoing costs,” said city spokesperson Alison Perkins. “We remain committed to reaching an agreement that recognizes employees’ contributions while balancing our financial realities, internal equity across the workforce and our responsibility to taxpayers.”

Brewster and other union leaders say the strike will weaken the city’s ability to respond quickly to emergencies — like natural disasters or chemical spills — and could delay any needed emergency repairs to 911 equipment, among other things.

Perkins, however, said the strike will not impact city services. She did not explain how those services would be supported in the workers’ absence.

The next meeting between the city and CPPW is tentatively scheduled for Friday.

CPPW plans to continue picketing in the meantime.

The news comes as another city union gears up for a strike. In late October, members of Portland City Laborers, a group represented by LiUNA Local 483, overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike over a breakdown in wage negotiations with the city. If the two parties are unable to reach an agreement, the 750-person union could go on strike next month.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/11/09/portland-oregon-workers-strike-professional-workers-union/