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County ratifies three-year corrections deputies contract with retroactive pay adjustments
Summary
The Multnomah County Board unanimously ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028) for corrections deputies, including retroactive adjustments and longevity credit changes intended to improve recruitment and retention.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted May 28, 2026, to ratify a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Multnomah County Corrections Deputies Association that covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
Labor relations staff and union leaders described a lengthy bargaining process that began April 7, 2025, included eight bargaining and mediation sessions and produced a tentative agreement reached April 14, 2026. County negotiators said the ratified agreement includes a 2.4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in the first year, retroactive to July 1, 2025, and a 5.2% market adjustment for deputies and sergeants also retroactive to July 1, 2025. Year two includes a 3.3% COLA and year three a COLA of between 1% and 4%.
Negotiators highlighted a change to the longevity provision that allows current and future lateral hires to receive county service credit for up to 10 years of prior corrections-certified service, which county staff said should help make corrections positions more competitive when recruiting experienced candidates.
Chief Deputy Steven Reirden spoke on behalf of the sheriff’s office, praising deputies’ professionalism and noting the contract helps recruitment and retention. Nicole Busher, president of the Corrections Deputy Association, thanked bargaining teams and said the agreement recognizes the demands and risks of corrections work.
Public testimony on the ratification included one commenter who again expressed concern about corrections operations and overtime; no commissioners opposed ratification. The board’s unanimous ratification followed several commissioners’ remarks thanking negotiators for a collaborative process and acknowledging operational staffing challenges inside the jails.
The board did not authorize additional changes to the contract in the public meeting; implementation will proceed according to negotiated terms. Commissioners and county staff flagged ongoing staffing shortages as a longer-term operational priority that the pay and longevity changes aim to address.
Recorded vote: Commissioner Singleton (yes); Commissioner Brim Edwards (yes); Commissioner Jones Dixon (yes); Commissioner Moyer (yes); Chair Vega Peterson (yes).
