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Portland Mercury•

Council Workers’ Union Complaint Alleges Loretta Smith Fired Staffer in Retaliation for Union Organizing

The newly-formed Council Alliance of Workers union is calling on city councilors to uphold their commitment to labor rights in their own workplaces. A new union representing Portland City Council aides and operations staff filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint against the city for alleged anti-union conduct from Councilor Loretta Smith’s office. The complaint, filed January 13, alleges Smith retaliated against and fired a former aide due to his role in organizing the Council staff union.  The aide, Adam Murray, worked as a policy staffer in Smith’s office for about nine months until he was fired last week. The termination came less than a month after Portland City Council staff announced they were organizing a union, called the Council Alliance of Workers (CAW) with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901. The Council Alliance of Workers includes staff members from the majority of City Council offices.  The ULP complaint describes Murray as a “key union supporter.”  State labor law, overseen by the Oregon Employee Relations Board, bars public sector employers from interfering with employees’ rights to organize a union, including by discriminating against or firing people who support a union effort. Smith currently serves as the chair of the Portland City Council’s Labor and Workforce Development Committee.  According to the complaint, Smith and her chief of staff, Elijah Crawford, “engaged in a sustained campaign of hostility, isolation, and altered working conditions” against Murray and his pro-union colleague after finding out about the impending union formation.  The complaint alleges in the aftermath of the union announcement, Smith and Crawford created new policies without effectively communicating them, creating a culture of fear and confusion. At various points between December 16 and January 9, Murray says Smith gave him the silent treatment in person, ignored his requests for virtual communication, and publicly chastised him in front of other City Hall staff, before he was placed on administrative leave and eventually terminated.  This is not the first time Smith has been accused of staff mistreatment. While serving as a Multnomah County commissioner from 2010 to 2018, Smith was accused of bullying and harassment by several of her staffers. A county human resources investigation found the staffers’ allegations credible, though Smith claimed the investigation was politically and racially motivated, and threatened to sue the county over it. Smith is one of two Black women currently serving on Portland City Council. Murray is also a Black man.  In an email to the Mercury, Crawford wrote that Smith’s office does not comment on “specific personnel matters,” adding “as a longtime advocate for working people and a collaborator with labor organizations throughout her career, Councilor Smith has consistently upheld the rights of employees to engage in collective bargaining as protected under the law.”  “In her role as a Councilor, she is committed to ensuring that City government operates effectively, transparently, and in a way that serves Portlanders while honoring the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved,” the statement continued.  In a January 13 letter from the Council Alliance of Workers to all Portland City Council members, the union called on councilors to put their “professed [pro-union] principles into practice” in their own offices. The union is calling on the city to investigate the allegations in the ULP complaint and reinstate Murray to his position, saying they have “ample evidence to prove that his termination was made in bad faith.” The letter also asked councilors to reflect on how their actions “might impact the ability of Council workers to best serve [their] constituents” and to pledge neutrality as the union organizing continues.  “The termination of a lead union organizer during the fragile, initial phase of a union drive is an exceptionally severe act,” the complaint says. “It sends a devastating message of retaliation that can chill the entire organizing effort. This action, taken by the City's highest elected and appointed officials, constitutes ‘egregious’ conduct that warrants a penalty to deter such abuses of power.”   In a timeline of events included in the ULP complaint, Murray describes being the target of a “dramatic shift in management posture and workplace dynamic” that occurred immediately after he informed Smith and Crawford about the union. According to Murray, Smith initially emphasized her pro-labor stance, but also urged her staffers to disclose their workplace grievances, which they were uncomfortable with.  Murray describes the subsequent days as tense. At one point, during an unexpected meeting, Murray said Smith told employees to turn off their phones, which indicated to him that “the meeting was not a safe space and it was likely to include conduct or language that the Councilor did not want to be public information.” Murray said the meeting felt “retaliatory for participating in union organizing,” and indicated he was reprimanded for taking brief notes with pen and paper.  The complaint details confusing communication between Smith, Crawford, and the other staff members regarding the days they were expected to work during the winter holiday, when City Hall was closed to the public. Murray said staff members were initially told they’d have the full two weeks off, but were later told they’d need to work most days, or request paid time off. The complaint includes emails from Smith accusing Murray of being a “no-show” on days he was approved to take off.  On December 31, Murray said he worked from home throughout the morning, while attempting to communicate with Smith and Crawford to clarify his responsibilities for the day. Neither responded to his texts that morning, but in the afternoon, Smith emailed Crawford and Murray noting Murray’s supposed absence from work.  “At that point I became extremely concerned, because the email did not acknowledge the context of my repeated requests for information and reporting for duty, nor during any point of that exchange was I asked and given an opportunity to come into the office,” Murray wrote in the complaint, saying he repeatedly called and emailed Crawford and Smith, but received no response from either of them for hours.  Murray said he eventually showed up to his office at City Hall with his 2-year-old son, having been previously advised by the councilor to bring his children to work if necessary. Murray said Smith barely acknowledged their presence in the office. That evening, Crawford emailed him saying his “judgment” that day “raises concerns and affects [Crawford’s] trust in [Murray’s] ability to represent Councilor Smith with the integrity expected when [Murray] disregards clear instructions.”  In the complaint, Murray wrote he was puzzled by Crawford’s email, which used a much harsher tone than he was used to. Murray said Crawford “seemed angered that [Murray’s] actions did not align with the narrative they were attempting to construct” of him.  “All of these events and behaviors created concerns that this entire sequence of events was about creating a pretext to retaliate against me for union organizing, under the guise of performance deficiencies,” Murray wrote.  The following week, Murray says he was publicly berated by Smith after speaking with the City Attorney’s office about a piece of legislation, which he believed she had given him permission to do. Later that day, Murray was called into a meeting with Crawford and Ron Zito, interim director of Portland’s Bureau of Human Resources. Murray said he requested union representation at the meeting, which he was eventually granted, and the meeting was postponed until later that week.  That evening, Murray was placed on paid administrative leave. The next morning, he was locked out of his work devices. Murray said in the complaint that “the sequence of events suggest my administrative leave decision likely was cemented” when he requested union representation at the performance meeting with Crawford and Zito. After a final meeting on January 9, Murray was terminated from his position.  In an affidavit asking for expedited processing of the ULP charge, CWA Local 7901 President Meg Ward highlighted the city of Portland’s status as a major public employer, as well as Smith’s role as an elected official and chair of the Labor and Workforce Development Committee.  “This creates a compelling public interest in a swift [Employment Rights Board] determination to correct a profound abuse of power and uphold public confidence in labor laws,” Ward wrote.  The union is asking for Murray to be reinstated quickly, with Ward noting his termination has caused him “immediate financial harm and loss of career opportunity.” The union is also concerned about the "chilling effect” his termination will have on his union colleagues.  In the letter to City Councilors from the Council Alliance of Workers, the union wrote that they believe their requests for reinstatement and support are reasonable, “especially for a Council body that has touted its labor ties.”  “This is about more than one worker or one Councilor - this is about setting the future of City Council and the City of Portland up for success,” the letter states. “The Councilors seated at the dais will come and go, but the kind of workplace conditions that Council workers need to do their jobs will remain the same.”

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Portland Mercury•

Last Call: The Mercury Is Hiring a Managing Editor!

Update: The deadline for applications is now closed. UPDATE, Jan 15: The application process for this position is now closed. Thank you for your interest! Original post: Whoopee-doo, great news: The Portland Mercury continues to grow like gang-busters, and we're hiring a MANAGING EDITOR to join our smart, scrappy, kick-ass editorial team. Are YOU an organized person, with newsroom and preferably managerial experience (or perhaps its someone you know)? Then check out the following job posting—apply online, and applications are due by January 14, 2026! Title: Managing Editor Reports to: Editor in Chief  Salary: $95K-$105K Application deadline: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 The Portland Mercury—a scrappy, independent, alternative source of news and information located in Portland, Oregon—is looking for a smart, dedicated Managing Editor to help oversee day-to-day operations in our editorial department, which is committed to bringing top-notch news and culture reporting to our community, amplifying underrepresented voices, and showing the city a good time.  This position will primarily focus on assisting the editor-in-chief (EIC) with the execution of the Mercury’s vision, including managing workflow and the editorial budget, supporting staff with daily practical needs, organizing production flow of print products, handling internal issues and performance assessments, while also assisting with editing and proofreading. The position also includes many opportunities for general assignment reporting and writing. The Managing Editor role carries supervisory authority—including hiring, performance management, and addressing staff concerns—in partnership with the EIC. They will supervise select section editors, assist and work alongside unionized staff, and coordinate with the production team to produce a monthly print product. This position plays a key leadership role in onboarding, and cross-departmental operations.  This position requires excellent, proven leadership abilities, strong editorial expertise, superb mediation and organizational skills, and—this is important—a great sense of humor. Requirements Ideally, we’d like applicants to possess the following:  • Three-plus years of journalism and/or editorial department experience—managerial experience is a definite plus. • Demonstrated writing, editing, and proofreading skills. • Superb organizational skills, including the ability to regularly meet or exceed deadlines. • The ability to juggle multiple deadlines while keeping a cool head and maintaining a positive attitude. • Demonstrable mediation skills, with expertise in problem solving, bringing creative ideas to the table, and the ability to work effectively with managers from other departments and divisions. Preferred qualifications • Having a fun, can-do attitude and being able to exhibit editorial flair. • Possessing an inspiring, positive personality that can bring out the best in employees. • A working knowledge of Portland, and what makes it so special. • A love for progressive politics, and uplifting underrepresented communities. And there's more where that came from: Read more about this great job opportunity and APPLY HERE. And spread the word if you think someone you know would be the perfect fit!

Mercury Jobs
Serving North Portland Since 1904!•

Terminal 6 Partial Closure: Unraveling Our Economy and Heritage

Cease Container Operations Oct. 1, 2024, Yet Remains Active for Shipping Autos and Break Bulk Cargo      Terminal 6, operated by the Port of Portland, has played a significant role in the economic development of North Portland and the broader region since 1972. Now, it is closing and profoundly impacting our economy. Hundreds of jobs directly […]

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Next Portland•

Metro Reports: The Philip, VC Fargo, Northbound 30 Collaborative, and more

Metro Reports have moved to Portland Maps Reports. Next Portland covers the highlights of the Early Assistance applications, Land Use Reviews and Building Permits processed each week. This post covers February 7th, 2022 to February 13th, 2022. Revisions to the Northbound 30 Collaborative at 2135 NW 29th Ave have been submitted for a Type III Design Review by Leeb Architects: […]

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