REC Bargaining Update June 25th, 2026
/Hello Union Members,
Our last bargaining session was Thursday June 25th, 2026. Thanks to everyone that was able to join!
The bargaining team presented the following counter proposals;
Article 1 Recognition - Management came back agreeing to our language changes but realigning language with 7.07 and explained what differences between HRAR 3.06 and 7.07 were. We TA'd this article.
Article 2 Union Security and Article 3 Dues Checkoff- We combined the very short articles 2 and 3. We TA'd this article.
Article 6 Job Security and Outside Contracting - The city wanted to increase the procurement limit. We TA'd this article.
Article 25 Wage Scales - Agreed to strike the reference to schedule B since the classifications in schedule B are the same as A for this purpose, removed redundancies, put the word "shall" back in to the sub articles that dealt with granting status when a position is reclassified We TA'd this article.
Article 17 Family and Medical Leave - The bargaining team discussed the types of leave available when growing a family or dealing with a medical event. We want this article to be easy to read for employees so they are well informed when they need to take time off work during a qualified medical event. The bargaining team will continue working on a counter, but we believe we are mostly in agreement with the city's proposals so far.
The City presented several articles,
Article 10 - Reporting Pay and Minimum Pay - this just fixed a typo.
Article 9 Overtime - The City proposed removing all premiums that employees are entitled to in this article. Those premiums include a higher rate of pay when you work more than 8 hours, when you have your schedule changed, when you work 6 or 7 days in a row. This would also mean that you only get overtime when you work more than 40 hours in the FLSA workweek. This proposal is terrible, and could result in reduced income for a lot of Rec employees. We also think this language is incredibly disrespectful to our workers, as we know everyone values a good work/life balance and consistent schedule, and this would allow the city to change your schedule often, change your days off, ask you to work on your day off, all without the overtime premiums you currently receive and have been entitled to for decades. If you agree that this is a bad proposal, let us know!
Article 13 Holidays - The City countered the bargaining team’s proposal 6 personal days back to 3 personal days. We are incredibly frustrated that the city continues to make excuses as to why Rec can't have the same personal holidays as other employees already get. We think this proposal is unfair.
Article 22 Payday - The City and the Union have gone back and forth about timeframes for recouping overpayments, and possible penalties for the City when there is an underpayment. If you have any thoughts or experiences with being overpaid or underpaid, share that with your CAT member!
Wage Scales
The City presented Sched A rates of pay. They agreed to adding additional wage steps to the Facility Tech classification to match the other classifications, and said employees would be moved to the appropriate step as soon as the contract was finalized. They also presented 1% raises over last 3 years of a 4 year contract (we already bargained this year's COLA, which will be 3%!) but continue to demand that raises are no longer tied to the CPI, a practice that has been in effect for decades.
A note about COLA- Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) have historically been tied to the CPI-W west coast cities- that means that as the cost of living increases for larger cities on the west coast, our wages increase with it. There has always been a floor and a ceiling (1%-5%), meaning that whatever happens with the CPI (Consumer Price Index) in our area, we will get at least a 1% raise and no more than 5%. Generally the CPI has fallen between 1% and 5%, so this practice has worked well. The City wants to discontinue this practice and instead claim they can only give us 3% more of the total cost of our contract (wages, benefits, increased holidays, etc). We believe this is utter garbage, and that the City should not rob from it's employees to correct budget issues.
What's next?
We will meet with the city again on Thursday, July 9th, and would love for you to join us (on a break or your own time, of course!). In the meantime, if you feel strongly about any of the proposals above, we encourage you to share that with your CAT member, fill out the safety survey we sent out, and tell your supervisor that you want to keep the COLA, demand a safer work environment, maintain the overtime premiums we've had for decades, and deserve the same amount of personal holidays that other employees get!
Our next Hybrid Recreation bargaining session is Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 from 9:00am to 5:00pm with the City of Portland.
LiUNA 483 members are invited to attend either in person or virtually. Please ensure you are on a scheduled break or have requested union leave to participate. Your presence and show of support are greatly appreciated by the union and the bargaining team.
Please note that the virtual feed will be paused during caucus.
Bargaining Session Participation
Thursdays, we rep LiUNA!
Reminder, wear your LiUNA shirts!
To show solidarity during sessions, we are providing LiUNA 483 images in this email, along with a guide on how to update your Outlook and Teams profiles. You may use your real name during Zoom meetings or update your signature to display the following format for your display name:
- “Union Member”
- [ Your Position]
- [Your Top Priority Issue: Safety, Longevity, COLA or Union representation]
To change your Outlook/Teams profile picture, click your current photo or initials in the top-right corner of the web app or desktop client, select the camera icon/change option, upload a new image, and click "Save”.
How to Update Your Zoom Profile:
- Before a Meeting: Sign in to the Zoom web portal or desktop client. Navigate to "Profile" to change your picture or click "Edit" to update your name.
- During a Meeting (Temporary):
- Desktop: Click "Participants," hover over your name, select "More," and click "Rename."
- Mobile: Tap "Participants," tap your name, and select "Rename."
Solidarity!
LiUNA 483 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Recreation Bargaining with City Of Portland
Time: Jul 9, 2026 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85154058307?pwd=eKtDygaLpPwIN8PCM1Q0EiXBmD31KH.1
Meeting ID: 851 5405 8307
Passcode: 139503
---
One tap mobile
+17193594580,,85154058307# US
+12532050468,,85154058307# US
---
Join by SIP
• 85154058307@zoomcrc.com
Join instructions
https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/85154058307/invitations?signature=CiP03m7cZ3ey2L6SmWk9i5izTgjruo173xA06qf3z1w
Thank you,
Laborers Local 483