The month-old union representing Portland City Hall staff has filed its first labor complaint against city management. In an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed Tuesday, the union accused City Councilor Loretta Smith of firing an employee in retaliation for labor organizing.

“The termination of a lead union organizer during the fragile, initial phase of a union drive is an exceptionally severe act,” reads the complaint, filed with the Oregon Employment Relations Board. “It sends a devastating message of retaliation that can chill the entire organizing effort.”

The complaint concerns Smith’s treatment of Adam Murray, who worked for Smith since April 2025 as a communications and policy aide – and was abruptly fired last Friday.

The Council Alliance of Workers, representing 41 employees who work for city council, alleges the firing was in retaliation for his involvement in the union. The union, represented by the larger Communication Workers of America Local 7901 union in the complaint, demands the city give Murray his job back and cease from any further retaliatory practices against union members, among other things.

A spokesperson for the city said the city does not comment on personnel matters or litigation. Smith also declined to comment.

The city council workers announced their union on Dec. 17. The day prior, he met with Smith and her Chief of Staff Elijah Crawford, to inform them about the coming union news, according to the union complaint. Because he has a managerial role, Crawford is not a member of the union.

“I didn’t want them to be surprised when it came out,” Murray told OPB. “And they took it well. It felt like they were supportive.”

The next day, Smith and Crawford called for a mandatory meeting for their five-person staff. According to Murray, both Crawford and Smith pressed their employees to share any grievances they had with management. Staff didn’t share much, according to Murray.

And after that meeting, Murray said, “Everything changed.”

According to Murray, he was no longer included in important discussions around legislation, informed of scheduling changes or treated with the level of respect and collegiality he had grown to expect in Smith’s office.

The situation escalated over the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when Murray requested time off for the holidays. According to the complaint, both Smith and Crawford claimed they never received his time off request and repeatedly contacted him on days he had requested off.

Murray was placed on administrative leave on Jan. 6. Murray said he was told it was related to attendance issues. On Jan. 9, Crawford fired Murray over email, a copy of which is included in the complaint.

“I was completely blindsided,” he said.

Smith declined to comment when reached by phone and referred to a statement sent to OPB by Crawford. In the statement, Crawford declined to comment on personnel issues.

“As a longtime advocate for working people, and a collaborator with labor organizations throughout her career, Councilor Smith has consistently upheld the rights of employees to engage in collective bargaining as protected under the law,” the statement read. “In her role as Councilor, she is committed to ensuring that City government operates effectively, transparently, and in a way that serves Portlanders while honoring the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved.”

This isn’t the first time Smith’s employees have raised issues with her management style. In 2017, when Smith was a Multnomah County Commissioner, one of Smith’s aides alleged that she had bullied staff. An independent investigation eventually found the bullying allegations credible, if difficult to prove.

Murray told OPB he was hesitant to come forward with the complaint.

Murray said his family has been close with Smith since he was a child, and he always considered Smith – one of the first Black women elected to local office in the Portland area – a role model.

“What Councilor Smith represents and what she has done for the community is so important,” Murray said. “I don’t want this to diminish that in any way. If there was a way to handle this internally, that would have been a preferred option to me. But because I was cut out for unionizing, I wasn’t able to do so.”

The complaint was filed four days after Murray’s firing and a day before Portland City Council was set to elect a new council president. The council hasn’t chosen yet. Smith is currently a nominee for the role.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/13/portland-city-councilor-smith-firing-staff-union/