Committee hears presentation to reinstate Portlandfair-wage policy for contracted janitorial, security and parking workers

City councilors and union representatives urged the Labor and Workforce Development Committee on March 27 to move quickly to restore a fair‑wage code that had required annual cost‑of‑living wage adjustments for contracted janitors, security officers and parking attendants.

Councilor Dan Dunphy presented the proposal and said the fair‑wage policy, which the council previously removed as part of a larger code update in November 2024, should be reinstated to protect low‑wage contract workers and prevent contractors from using lower wages to undercut service quality. "We cannot balance the budget on the backs of our lower paid city employees who keep our parks and public buildings running," Dunphy said.

Dunphy and his co‑sponsors framed the change as time‑sensitive: they sought committee support to advance a draft ordinance to full council so it could take effect before the new fiscal year. The presenters said the proposed new language would link annual wage adjustments to the CPI‑W for the West Region and would prevent ad hoc exemptions that had weakened the prior code.

Yasmina Ibarra, political director for SEIU Local 49, told the committee the policy had supported subcontracted janitors and security workers for nearly 30 years and that restoring the rule would protect workers and ensure consistent service quality for Portland residents. Ibarra noted that Port of Portland and Multnomah County had pursued similar standards.

Several unionized janitors gave testimony. Mark Jeffries, a day porter at City Hall with Relay Resources and a member of SEIU Local 49, told the committee the fair‑wage increases he previously received "made a huge difference for me and my family" and allowed his household to save for retirement. Lead janitor Gloria Hernandez described starting work at $7.85 an hour earlier in her career and said the policy — plus union negotiations — had brought her to $21.23 an hour with benefits that supported her family during periods of hardship. Maria Flores, a janitorial worker at the Portland Building, said small wage increases have been essential to meeting household costs and that fair compensation supports retention and stability.

Committee procedure and next steps were discussed at length. Presenters said they had been advised that if the committee registers support during the presentation, the item could be placed on the April 16 full council agenda without a second committee hearing, although committee members and city attorneys debated the precise legislative steps required. Councilor Green said she intended to support the reinstatement and expressed concern that the prior code repeal was folded into a general code cleanup without an impact statement addressing the fair‑wage change.

No binding committee vote was taken during the March 27 meeting; staff and presenters described the item as a presentation with attached draft ordinance language. Multiple councilors urged that the ordinance be routed through the regular legislative workflow with required legal and budgetary reviews before final council action.

Ending: Union leaders and contracted workers urged swift action to restore protections; councilors signaled support but asked for a clear referral and required impact analysis before a final vote.