The District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) reached tentative agreement Feb. 5 on a contract for more than 200 City of Portland workers, averting a strike that was scheduled to start the next morning. The two sides spent 32 hours in mediation in the three days leading up to the planned strike.
The DCTU negotiates a contract for city employees represented by IBEW Local 48, Machinists District Lodge W24, Painters District Council 5, Operating Engineers Local 701, and UA Local 290.
Under the proposed contract, the positions represented by those five unions will receive total across-the-board raises ranging from 1% to 8.5% over the three-year contract term, in addition to annual cost of living raises based on inflation. The new agreement runs Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2027.
More than half of the workers will get at least 7.5% raises over the three-year contract, said chief negotiator Mark Hinkle. Vehicle and equipment mechanics, electricians, and instrument technicians make up about half of the workers in the DCTU.
Current wages range from $26 to $60.49 per hour, depending on the job.
The proposed contract also includes three additional personal days for employees who don’t work remotely.
Most workers represented by the DCTU reach the top of their position’s pay scale within a few years. The proposed contract adds a 2% longevity premium, increasing wages for workers who have been at the city for at least 10 years. Members of affiliated DCTU unions will vote on the agreement in the coming weeks. City Council is expected to vote on the proposed contract — as well as the proposed contract for AFSCME Local 189 — on March 5.
