Two Portland-area trade unions pulled their reelection endorsements from District 4 Councilor Mitch Green on July 7, citing his reluctance to back the $600 million Moda Center renovation and the Bull Run water filtration plant.

IBEW Local 48, which represents electricians, and Ironworkers Local 49 released a joint statement saying Green's positions "undermine union members' livelihoods."

The move ratchets up political pressure on the first-term progressive councilor five weeks before the city council's scheduled August 12 vote on a $120 million public commitment to the Moda Center deal.

"Councilor Green is choosing to deny the same security and benefit to working Oregonians," said Garth Bachman of IBEW Local 48 in the statement. "This is a betrayal of the working class and an unfortunate indicator of the councilor's values."

Green, an economist and Democratic Socialists of America member who has represented District 4 since January 2025, responded in an email to IBEW 48.

He said he understood the unions' decision and stood behind his position, adding that both projects could be done in a way that benefits all Portlanders. Green noted his own family has ties to the labor-union world.

"While we may not agree today, I know there will be future labor issues we can and should work together on," Green wrote.

The Moda Center renovation carries a $600 million price tag. Oregon has pledged $365 million in state bonds. Multnomah County has committed roughly $88 million, though the county board has not formally approved it.

Portland's share is up to $120 million, and Mayor Keith Wilson has proposed tapping $75 million from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, a climate tax on large retailers. A May 2026 survey reported by the Oregonian found 55% of Portland voters opposed using climate-tax dollars for the arena.

The Bull Run water filtration plant is a separate $2 billion project under construction to comply with federal drinking water regulations. The facility is expected to begin serving filtered water in 2029.

Green has been one of the most vocal council critics of the Moda Center process. On June 24, he spoke at a protest outside the arena during the Portland Metro Chamber's annual meeting, telling the crowd: "Maybe the Blazers will leave. That's Tom Dundon's choice, but I want Portlanders to know that they have a choice too."

Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon purchased the team for $4.25 billion in March 2026. As of the Oregonian's June 2026 reporting, neither Dundon nor the team has offered to contribute private money toward the renovation.

The council is scheduled to vote August 12 on a term sheet that would lock in the city's $120 million funding commitment and set the framework for lease negotiations with the Blazers.

A final vote on the long-term lease is expected no later than December 17, before the state's bonding authority expires in January 2027.

Green is one of six councilors up for reelection in 2026 on Portland's new 12-member governing body. No other unions have publicly commented on his stance.