Committee advances new lead preschool teacher classification and pay premiums tied to Multnomah County Preschool for All

The Portland City Council Labor and Workforce Development Committee on Tuesday voted to advance three related emergency ordinances to the full council that would create a new non‑represented classification for lead preschool teachers, and authorize two letters of agreement with the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) to adjust pay for recreation associates and provide premium pay tied to the Multnomah County 'Preschool for All' program.

The measures are intended to allow the Bureau of Parks & Recreation to begin hiring and implementing the county'funded Preschool for All program before a July 1 wage deadline. Sarah Daley, a labor relations analyst in the Bureau of Human Resources, told the committee that the county program ''requires that all folks hired into their slots be paid in alignment with the Preschool for All minimum wages by July 1.'

The ordinances would: (1) establish a non‑represented lead preschool teacher classification to reflect new educational and schedule requirements; (2) authorize a letter of agreement with LiUNA to amend the wage scale so recreation associates working in preschool rooms receive a premium that brings their pay to the Preschool for All minimum; and (3) authorize a separate LiUNA letter of agreement to preserve premium pay for recreation staff who lead offsite trip excursions supporting program participants.

Why it matters: Multnomah County'funding awarded Portland slots for Preschool for All in December, supporting 11 preschool rooms at nine community centers and funding 154 student slots. City staff said the county levy funds wages and salaries for program staff for the coming school year and that the city'must align local hires with the county'set minimum wages to begin service in July.

Key details from staff: Jamie Santis, manager in the Recreation Division, said Portland currently has 12 teachers working in city preschool classrooms. Parks and Human Resources wrote a new classification specification because the Preschool for All program sets higher educational and professional development requirements and a longer workday than the city's existing 'Recreation Leader, Preschool' classification. Staff said the new classification will be used first for an internal, promotional recruitment to retain current staff; any external hiring to fill vacancies would follow the creation of an eligible list.

On wages, staff described the gap the ordinances are intended to close. Parks staff said the current entry level wage for a recreation associate is $19.52 per hour; after a July 1 cost‑of‑living adjustment it will be $19.99. The Preschool for All program sets a higher minimum for preschool aides and assistants at $22.27 per hour. The city and LiUNA negotiated a premium that will be added to hours worked in Preschool for All classrooms so the lowest pay while working in those slots will be $22.27. Staff described that the premium will be recalculated annually to reflect Preschool for All's published minimums.

Emergency ordinance and timing: Committee members questioned whether the items qualified as emergency ordinances. Councilor Novick asked why an emergency designation was necessary; Sarah Daley and Jamie Santis said the county requires hires to be paid aligned wages by July 1 and that a non‑emergency classification process would take roughly 60 days, which could imperil the hiring timeline. Committee members also discussed the plan to run a sheltered promotional recruitment for current city staff and noted that LiUNA has been notified and is expected to pursue representation through a card check once hires are made.

Votes and next steps: The committee approved each item with a 'due pass' recommendation and forwarded them to full council for final action. Staff said the items were expected to be before full council on April 16. If approved by council as emergency ordinances they would become effective immediately, allowing Parks to begin recruitment.

Boardroom context: Committee Chair Councilor Loretta Smith led the discussion; Vice Chair Councilor Mitch Green asked questions about representation and non‑represented status. Several members expressed support for retaining current preschool staff through internal promotion.