At Central City Concern, the Portland area’s largest homeless service nonprofit, about half of the workers are represented by AFSCME. Now, the other half are getting a chance to join.
On July 25, AFSCME Local 88-1 filed a petition asking the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election for about 450 workers at Central City Concern.
Unlike so many other employers, Central City Concern isn’t fighting efforts by workers to join the union. Back in 2021, the nonprofit’s then-CEO Rachel Solotaroff recorded a video urging a “no” vote, and managers fought and defeated a union campaign at its Blackburn Center, a clinic and residential treatment center.
But CEO Andy Mendenhall, her successor, hit reset and has worked to forge a harmonious relationship with the union. In September 2022 Central City Concern signed a neutrality agreement pledging not to oppose future efforts to organize non-union workers. The group appears to be honoring that pledge.
The union election will take place by mail. Ballots will be mailed Aug. 21 and must be received by Sept. 12.
