The month-old union representing Portland City Hall staff has filed its first labor complaint against city management. In an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed Tuesday, the union accused City Councilor Loretta Smith of firing an employee in retaliation for labor organizing.
“The termination of a lead union organizer during the fragile, initial phase of a union drive is an exceptionally severe act,” reads the complaint, filed with the Oregon Employment Relations Board. “It sends a devastating message of retaliation that can chill the entire organizing effort.”
The complaint concerns Smith’s treatment of Adam Murray, who worked for Smith since April 2025 as a communications and policy aide – and was abruptly fired last Friday…