The union, formed in 2023, represents analysts, specialists, community engagement staff, and other positions across every city bureau. CPPW President Kari Koch described the members as “the glue that holds the city together,” citing the behind-the-scenes nature of their work.

The two sides remain divided primarily over compensation. CPPW is seeking cost-of-living adjustments, standard wage increases, and layoff protections comparable to other city union contracts. The union estimates its proposals would cost the city an additional $9.3 million over the next two fiscal years, a figure it says is in line with other labor agreements. The city contends the cost would be significantly higher.

A final bargaining session with state mediators is scheduled for Sunday. Koch said the union is entering those talks “with eyes wide open,” ready to negotiate, but she accused Mayor Keith Wilson of having “dug in his heels” despite the potential impact on community services.

City spokesperson Alison Perkins said the city remains committed to a fair agreement that “recognizes employees’ contributions” while balancing financial realities and taxpayer dollars. She said the main sticking point is compensation, noting that the 2025 contract provided a 2.4 percent cost-of-living adjustment, a 2 percent wage increase, and a $1,000 bonus.

Koch argued that the city should model good employment practices by paying workers enough to live in the city they serve. “We are supposed to be setting a standard, that having labor peace at the city helps the mayor and everyone else build the Portland that we’re trying to build right now—build the Portland prosperity, build the Portland renaissance,” she said. “We’re actually on the same team, and we should be moving in that same direction.”

The strike is expected to affect a wide range of city services, including public records requests, vehicle maintenance, payroll for thousands of other city employees, revenue collection, and on-call responses for victims of serious crimes. It could also impact 911 operations, emergency response, communications, and maintenance within public safety and public works bureaus. While 911 call operators are not CPPW members and the public can still call 911 in an emergency, CPPW members would be the staff responsible for fixing any equipment malfunctions.

Mike Grimm, an emergency management coordinator and CPPW member, said in a press release that he is responsible for keeping 911 operations, including a backup call center, ready to take calls. “If a strike happens, equipment that breaks down would take longer to get repaired,” Grimm said.

Glenn Devitt, a duty officer and community resilience coordinator, said five of the nine people in that role are CPPW members. That position sits within the Bureau of Emergency Management, which organizes and trains community members and city workers for emergency responses. “If we walk off the job, managers would have to cover every shift while also coordinating our strike response,” Devitt said. He added that a training opportunity for 50 native Spanish-speaking student volunteers could be disrupted if the strike drags on.

The path to the strike began after the city declared an impasse in September, leading to a final offer and a 30-day cooling-off period. CPPW members voted 93 percent in favor of authorizing a strike, and the union notified the city it would begin November 9 if no deal was reached.

The union has also been strained by recent city budget decisions. Portland is undergoing a “core realignment” process to reorganize roughly 1,000 staff positions under the new voter-approved government structure implemented in 2025. During the summer budget cycle, Wilson proposed cutting numerous jobs, many of which supported city services. In late June, Councilors Candace Avalos, Mitch Green, and Angelita Morillo proposed a budget amendment to pause layoffs for 103 positions, many of them CPPW members, but it failed on a 6-6 vote. In July, a proposal from five progressive councilors to save 55 jobs failed after Wilson used his first tie-breaking vote to defeat it. A compromise ordinance later passed 10-2, pausing 30 layoffs.

Koch warned at the time that the layoffs could be problematic and costly. With Sunday’s mediation session looming, the city and the union have one last chance to avert a strike that could ripple through essential services.