Vancouver, Washington – Workers represented by Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 11 at the City of Vancouver voted overwhelmingly in support of a new contract that increases wages, decreases the employee share of healthcare contributions and adds new financial incentives and benefits for an array of work groups. The ratification vote passed with more than 90% yes votes.
The two-year contract provides every employee with a signing bonus equal to 1.25% of their base annual wage for 2024 and a 3% cost of living raise immediately. Workers will receive another 3% cost of living raise on January 1, 2026, and the agreement will expire on December 31, 2026. Despite city proposals to tie wages to performance reviews, the final agreement does not include any merit-based conditions for employees to receive the cost of living raises.
“When union members step up, communicate and actively engage, meaningful progress on wages, benefits and working conditions is possible.”
The contract also implements modified results of a salary survey the city tried rolling out in December. That survey adjusts the base salaries for certain job classification based on a comparison to similar jobs elsewhere. The original results would have frozen wages for almost half of the 175 workers Local 11 represents, and lowered earning potential for long-serving workers.
“OPEIU Local 11 worked extensively with the city to re-evaluate job positions that were negatively affected to ensure the salary adjustments were accurate,” said Cheyenne Russell, OPEIU Local 11 union rep. “For one job classification, the re-evaluation meant base wages and earning potential stayed the same, instead of dropping four ranges and topping out three years sooner than before.”
The employee share of healthcare drops significantly under the agreement. In 2025, employees will pay about $91 per month, or about 5% of the total cost of coverage, down from about $330 monthly or about 20%.
OPEIU Local 11 also won back double time for all hours worked on holidays – a benefit that had been reduced to time and a half by previous contracts.
“I’ve always been told that when you lose a benefit, you’ll never get it back. This negotiation was a historical win for us, fixing a lot of the language in our neglected contract,” said Dani Story, a customer service representative and OPEIU Local 11 member. “I am so proud of our members, the Contract Action Team and our entire bargaining unit, especially our Union Rep Cheyenne. She refused to take ‘not interested’ as an answer and went above and beyond for our union.”
Beyond across-the-board improvements, the contract establishes several new benefits and financial incentives meant to bolster working conditions for specific work groups. Those include:
- A $1 per hour premium for employees who use languages other than English to do their jobs.
- A 5% premium on base salary for police service technicians and police records employees who are asked to train incoming staff.
- A special allotment of 20 hours of “high intensity: leave for police records officers, police evidence technicians, police service technicians and parking enforcement officers.This leave can be used to support the employee’s mental health, especially after exposure to traumatizing content or experiences on the job.
- A 50-50 cost-share for city parking fees for any employee who works 40 hours a week in the office at City Hall.
“This negotiation was a historical win for us, fixing a lot of the language in our neglected contract.”
For the first time during negotiations with the city, OPEIU Local 11 formed a Contract Action Team (CAT) of members who helped guide the strategy of the campaign and keep their fellow members informed throughout the bargaining process. The CAT gathered signatures from more than 75% of the unit on a pledge to stand in solidarity for a fair contract, and it organized a night of action where dozens of members gave testimony at a City of Vancouver Public forum.
“This is the most impressive improvement in contract language I’ve seen since joining the City,” said T. Michelson, an OPEIU Local 11 member who has worked at the city for almost a decade. “It’s a powerful reminder that when union members step up, communicate and actively engage, meaningful progress on wages, benefits and working conditions is possible.”
The contract now goes to City of Vancouver council members for their ratification. The council is scheduled to take its vote on June 2.
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ABOUT OPEIU LOCAL 11
OPEIU Local 11 represents nearly 1,800 employees across five states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. OPEIU Local 11 ’s members work in many settings, including local governments, offices, mental health care facilities, nonprofits, and utilities providers. Through OPEIU Local 11, employees have a voice on the job and an avenue to equality, fair treatment and economic security. Learn more online at OPEIU11.org.
OPEIU Local 11 members at the City of Vancouver are the front lines of city services. They serve in roles that interact directly with citizens and provide services like non-emergency police support, utilities inspections, construction work, permit reviews, records maintenance and customer service in city facilities