As the mediation between the City of Portland and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) local 189 persists, further discussions were prompted by the culmination of a 30-day cooling-off period. On October 14th, having entered their third session in efforts to renegotiate the contract for the 11 members of the Office of Independent Police Review (IPR), the union now stands poised and legally positioned to potentially declare a strike with a ten-day notice.
In the latest meeting between the parties, the City put forth a fresh proposal, aiming to ensure a smoother transition for AFSCME-represented IPR workers as the new Oversight System gears up for implementation. With the option to strike on the table, the City has proposed a six-month advance notice of any hiring within the newly established Office of Community-based Police Accountability (OCPA). Furthermore, a curiously timed element of the offer guarantees internal interviews with the future OCPA Director for IPR employees before entertaining external applicants.
Additional support mechanisms for IPR personnel were part of the City's updated proposition. AFSCME members can lean on a Priority Reemployment Program, which promises precedence in consideration for city-wide vacancies. While still wrestling with the possibility of a strike, these measures seek to cast a safety net for those choosing to lay off with a comforting 30 days' worth of paid administrative leave preceding their departure.
These proposed assurances tack onto the City's commitment, potentially easing individual decisions, by securing a place within an existing city position for any IPR member who decides against, or is not chosen for, a spot in the OCPA. To seal this security, positions would be either preserved or created, aligning closely in scope of work and wage scale, which are in proportion to the now-debated terms raised by the union and the municipality, according to the statement issued by the City of Portland on their website.
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