Portland's more than 800 city analysts, coordinators and administrative professionals could walk off the job as soon as Sunday, Nov. 1, after contract talks with the city stalled.

The city and the City of Portland Professional Workers union (CPPW) submitted competing final offers to the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) on Oct. 1, according to a city labor relations announcement. That filing triggered a 30-day cooling-off period. If no deal is reached, CPPW members are eligible to strike starting Nov. 1.

The two sides are far apart on money. The city's cost comparison puts its own final offer at about $9.1 million in new spending through Dec. 31, 2027, when the contract expires. CPPW's proposal totals roughly $19.8 million over the same period, a gap of about $10.7 million.

Both proposals include the same $8 million in cost-of-living adjustments. The divide comes from CPPW's push for an additional $10.3 million in base wage increases and about $1.4 million in longevity pay. The city's offer includes neither.

Under the city's proposal, workers would receive a 3% cost-of-living adjustment effective July 1, 2026, followed by an increase of 1% to 4% on July 1, 2027. The offer also includes a $1,000 one-time bonus per member at ratification and a $350 annual safety gear allowance for eligible positions.

The four contract articles still in dispute are wages, layoff and recall, standby and callback, and hours of work. Those provisions were set aside when CPPW ratified its first contract in May 2025. A city classification and compensation study was expected to inform further talks.

CPPW declared impasse after mediation sessions that began Aug. 25, according to city labor relations records. One mediation session took place Monday, Oct. 12. Another is scheduled later in October.

The union opened a strike authorization vote on Wednesday, Oct. 7, urging members to vote yes, according to the CPPW website. The result of that vote has not been publicly announced. The union has also held "Strike School" training sessions for members.

CPPW president Kari Koch has been vocal about the contract dispute. At a Sept. 26 rally outside the Moda Center protesting public spending on arena renovations, Koch told the crowd, "Stop kowtowing to billionaires … Invest in services. Invest in your workers and settle these contracts," The Oregonian reported.

The city said in its Oct. 9 announcement that it has been planning for a possible strike and intends to keep essential services running without interruption.

CPPW workers serve across nearly every part of city government, coordinating programs, analyzing policy, managing finances and communicating with the public. The city has 17 bargaining units covering more than 80% of its approximately 7,500 employees. On Oct. 1, the city separately reached a tentative agreement with PROTEC17, which represents nearly 1,000 workers. Negotiations with LiUNA Local 483, representing about 1,600 employees, and the Portland Fire Fighters' Association Community Health Medics, representing about 25, remain underway.

If talks fail, the next mediation session later in October may be the last chance to avoid a picket line on Nov. 1.