PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has been in office about a week and he is already getting pushback on one of his stated initiatives — and he’s starting to backtrack.
Wilson wants city employees who work remotely to spend more time at the office, at least four days a week. But unions representing those workers are saying not so fast.
The new mayor said 60% of city employees — about 4000 people — have been reporting to job sites over the past four years, he wants to see all staff return. Since the pandemic, former Mayor Ted Wheeler allowed employees to work partly remote. In January 2024, Wheeler called for them to work in the office 20 hours a week, about 2.5 days.
Wilson’s request was met with immediate pushback as some union members said remote work in some cases is actually more efficient.
David Kreisman, the public affairs manager for Oregon AFSCME which represents a number of city workers, said its members “will do the work, wherever it needs to be done.”
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