Contract Bargaining Updates

Multnomah County is currently engaged in successor bargaining for three separate union contracts: AFSCME Local 88-5 (Dentists), MCDSA (Deputy Sheriffs), and JCSS (Juvenile Custody Specialists). The County bargained six other successor contracts in 2025: AFSCME Local 88 (General Unit,) MCCDA (Corrections Deputies), MCPAA (Prosecuting Attorneys), ONA (Nurses), Physicians & Psychiatrists, and Pharmacists. We are also working on market adjustment bargaining as well as impact bargaining.

We recognize that there is a lot happening, and a lot to keep track of. Multnomah County Labor Relations plans to keep this site updated as we bargain so that all County employees are informed throughout the process.

Two people handshake over table covered in paper, a laptop, and mobile devices

Bargaining updates by bargaining unit

How does bargaining work?

For each contract, the Union and Management will come to the table (literally - it’s a table) to talk through what each side would like to change from the previous contract. This can include housekeeping things like switching to gender-neutral pronouns or clarifying shift language to big things like wages and benefits. Each side drafts proposals for the other side to review; some things we can agree on easily, while other things require a lot of back and forth. We will reach tentative agreements article by article. It’s not a fast process, but it’s a crucial one; we need to reach contracts that meet the needs of our Union-represented employees as well as the County as a whole.

Timeline

Each of the contracts we are currently bargaining are set to expire on June 30, 2026. We do not have to reach an agreement by that time, but we do have to engage in the bargaining process for 150 days from the first session that proposals were exchanged. For most bargaining units, that’ll put us in September or October. However, we can still continue beyond that date by mutual agreement if both parties feel we are getting close to a deal.

We understand that County staff do not want to work any longer than they have to in the uncertainty between contracts. Likewise, it’s in the County’s interest to reach a deal as soon as possible to avoid the logistical challenges presented by thousands of people needing backpay at the same time. We will do everything we can to get the contracts settled as quickly as we can while leaving time to carefully consider all proposals from our Union partners.