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July 18, 2023 - The horrific murder of Cascadia McCarthy Place Mental Health Aide, Haley Rogers has placed a spotlight on the issue of safety at one of Multnomah County’s mental health provid

The 2022 legislative session is starting to deliver for Oregon workers. Oregon AFSCME started the 2022 legislative session with several priority bills that advance economic and social justice for members and for other Oregon workers and their families. As we move into the last two weeks of the session, we have reached some important milestones in our advocacy. 

PORTLAND, OR - Over the last few weeks, employees at Lines for Life, a 24-hour crisis line non-profit based in Portland, voted by an overwhelming majority to join Oregon AFSCME.

After over 25 months of bargaining, the members of the six unions that make up the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) have voted in favor of accepting city management most recent proposal, which calls off a declared strike with just over 24 hours to go.

The agreement includes:

  • A 2% across the board raise on top of COLA in the fourth year of the contract

  • Preservation of essential worker language

State lawmakers must prioritize Oregon’s working families and those left behind during the pandemic. While corporate profits skyrocket, our state has serious issues affecting everyday Oregonians that must be addressed. Every county in the state is a child care desert due to a lack of support for parents and child care providers, especially parents and providers of color. Oregon has the highest rate of addiction in the country because of historic underinvestment in treatment service staffing that has only gotten worse since the pandemic.

CONTRACT RATIFED — STRIKE CALLED OFF

AFSCME mourns the loss of Mildred Wurf, a beloved member of our union family, a pioneering District Council 37 educator and the widow of former AFSCME president, Jerry Wurf. Mildred Wurf died on Dec. 29 at the age of 95.

Striketober and Strikesgiving are over, but worker strikes are still going strong. As I write this, Kellogg’s workers are holding the line in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Memphis. Alabama miners are heading into their ninth month of standing up to Warrior Met Coal. And the wave of worker actions demonstrating power and the fight for fairness continues to rise.