City of Vancouver workers ratify contract

OPEIU members’ new contract features significant improvements in compensation, healthcare costs, and more

VANCOUVER, WA (May 28, 2025) — An overwhelming majority of workers represented by OPEIU Local 11 at the City of Vancouver voted to approve a new contract that increases wages, decreases the employee share of healthcare contributions, and adds new financial incentives and benefits for an array of work groups. Per a statement from the union, the contract was approved by 90%.

The workers covered by the contract provide direct services to the public, like non-emergency police support, utilities inspections, construction work, permit reviews, records maintenance and customer service in city facilities.

OPEIU members joined fellow union workers at the City of Vancouver, represented by AFSCME and Teamsters, for an action in March. Photo: OPEIU Local 11

Under the terms of the two-year contract, every employee will receive a signing bonus equal to 1.25% of their base annual wage for 2024 as well as a 3% cost of living raise immediately. Another 3% cost of living raise was negotiated for January 1, 2026, before the agreement expires at the end of that year. Despite initial city proposals to tie wages to performance reviews, the workers successfully negotiated a final agreement that does not include any merit-based conditions for employees to receive the cost of living raises.

A central issue in this bargain was wages; the City was looking to implement a salary survey that would have effectively frozen wages for almost half of the 175 workers in the bargaining unit, but workers pushed back on the City’s data.

“OPEIU Local 11 worked extensively with the city to re-evaluate job positions that were negatively affected to ensure the salary adjustments were accurate,” said Cheyenne Russell, a OPEIU Local 11 union rep in a statement. “For one job classification, the re-evaluation meant base wages and earning potential stayed the same, instead of dropping four ranges and topping out three years sooner than before.” 

In another boost to compensation, the workers also won back double time for all hours worked on holidays, a benefit that had been reduced to time and a half by previous contracts.

“I’ve always been told that when you lose a benefit, you’ll never get it back. This negotiation was a historical win for us,” said Dani Story, a customer service representative and OPEIU Local 11 member.

The new contract also significantly drops the employee share of healthcare costs. In 2025, employees will pay about $91 per month, or about 5% of the total cost of coverage, down from about $330 monthly or about 20%, according to the union.

The contract now goes to City of Vancouver council members for their ratification; a vote is scheduled on June 2.