On Friday, Aug. 28, the union representing about 70% of Corvallis’ city employees voted to authorize a strike. The vote comes as the federal government seems to be intentionally doing things that spike inflation upward – we’re looking at you predictable Strait of Hormuz closure and tariff shocks – and neither worker wages nor city budgets are keeping up.
According to Stephen Whitener, who is on the AFSCME Local 2975 negotiation team, 159 of the local’s workers voted, an 89% turnout. 90.2% of those votes favored authorizing a strike. Library patrons may know Whitener, he’s been working as a specialist there for about two decades.
Neither the City nor Local have declared an impasse, a formality that would by state law start a thirty-day clock before any actual strike could legally take place. The strike vote was a preparatory step toward a declaration that would have teeth.
Naturally, we asked the union about what they’re seeking.
The main sticking points, of course, are about pay. The union says it’s seeking an initial bump for all workers of 2% plus a 4% cost-of-living adjustment, a total of 6% for the first year. The raises for 2027 and 2028 would be 3% and then 5%, respectively.
Also, they are seeking added raises for longevity. Public employees get what are called step-increases; automatic raises for specified periods of service. Meet the usual worker performance standards; you get the raise. The City offers six of these “steps” and the union is negotiating to add a seventh.
Of course, we asked the City what they’re offering, and nobody, staff or elected, is saying. Officials have also banned all press from their executive sessions on the matter; state law permits that, and it also permits exceptions.
Background
The City’s contract with AFSCME, or the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, expired June 30, 2026. Negotiations began in early January of this year.
Local 2975 is campaigning for a contract that, in their view, maintains city employee benefits, conducts semi-regular meetings with management and elevates wage rights.
“There used to be a point in time where the city covered one hundred percent of our health insurance premiums in our contract,” said Evan Newton, union president and bargaining team member. “That was probably two or three contracts ago. Since then, it’s been reduced over time. The contract that we are operating under right now, but has since expired, covered 93 percent of the insurance split.”
The new proposed contract from the City of Corvallis, according to Newton, adjusts the split to 90/10, indicating that the ten percent would be paid for by the employees. “That seems to be a very difficult thing for our members to accept, because, of course, most Americans are feeling the rising healthcare costs that are going up every year. So not only do they want us to pay more for health insurance, we also have to bite the bullet on healthcare costs,” said Newton.
At press time, Local 2975 reported 248 employees, with 73 percent paying dues. Since contract negotiations started, both sides have met less than nine times, with the City of Corvallis sending their last, best and final offer July 7, which Local 2975 did not accept. According to Newton, approximately ten sticking points remain outstanding, including health insurance.
Local 2975 sent their counter-proposal July 20, and was reportedly met with an acknowledgment that it was submitted and that no further meetings would take place without a neutral proposal, which would cost the city no more money than the final cost of their last, best and final offer.
“We want to work with city council,” Newton said. “We want to work with our management so that we can keep working. That’s what we want to do — we want to settle a contract that’s fair for everybody, but especially our members, and that seems to be a difficult challenge at the moment.”
On Monday, Aug. 17, a group of Local 2975 presented at an open City Council meeting.
“The main goal is to let management know that we’re serious and we want them to come back to the bargaining table,” Newton said, also stating that the union had been trying to connect with council members since April and had not heard back.
During the public comment section of the meeting, presenting in front of council members, multiple members of Local 2975 shared brief statements, including Stephen Whitener, Jessie Rafferty, Newton and Jonathan Rader.
“I’m honored to be part of our bargaining team this year. My team members are smart, dedicated and civic-minded employees of Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Community Development,” Whitener told the Council. “Our proposals have been informed by the needs and priorities of our coworkers, things like hazard pay for essential employees who risk their lives during inclement weather events to keep vital services running … Our team has shown movement toward an agreement consistently, but management has been resistant and largely uncooperative. It has been difficult to communicate with you outside of this forum. Please urge management to return to the bargaining table so that we may produce a fair contract worthy of an employer of choice so that employees can better afford to live in the city they serve.”
Newton informed council members that the union strike authorization vote would be coming, telling the council, “We will see the results of this strike authorization vote, but based on previous membership meetings, there seems to be a large appetite to at least see one occur.”
The City’s One Statement
When we asked the City of Corvallis about the negotiations, they offered a statement saying, “The City of Corvallis began negotiations on January 15, 2026 on a new contract with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 2975. Together, the two parties met regularly over the next 150 days to negotiate on various contract points. Direct bargaining concluded on June 14, 2026. The next step was mediation through the state’s Employee Relations Board. That process began on June 29 and is ongoing. Throughout this process, the City and union have maintained communication and have exchanged proposals. So far, neither party has declared impasse. There are a few more required steps before the union may strike. The City intends to remain engaged in mediation, negotiating in good faith for as long as it takes to reach an acceptable labor contract.”
At press time, negotiations appear to have stalled.
By Hannah Field and Steven J. Schultz
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