PAGE 2 | November 19, 2021 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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UNION DEMOCRACY
Multnomah
County union has
new top officer
By Don McIntosh
AFSCME Local 88 has a new
president, Josyln Baker.
Baker ran unopposed after in-
cumbent Percy Winters Jr. opted
not to run for a third two-year
term, and she was sworn into of-
fice at the local’s Nov. 17 gen-
eral meeting.
With about 3,400 members,
Local 88 represents most em-
ployees who work for Mult-
nomah County. It also includes
workers at Central City Concern
and Transition Projects Inc., two
large nonprofits that have con-
tracts with the county.
Baker, 55, grew up in Fre-
mont, California, where her fa-
ther was a high school teacher
active in his union. She moved
to Portland in 1992 and got a job
at Multnomah County. Twenty-
nine years later, she’s still at the
county, having held 13 jobs in
four departments over that time.
In recent years she’s worked on
county efforts to combat domes-
tic violence and sex trafficking,
and to comply with OSHA and
COVID safety rules.
Local 88 president Josyln Baker is a 29-year employee of Multnomah County.
“I think the common thread
linking my work is seeking jus-
tice for both employees and the
communities that we serve as
county workers,” Baker told the
Labor Press.
Baker is currently a project
manager for county chief oper-
ating officer Serena Cruz, and
will remain on the county pay-
roll while working full time for
the local under an agreement be-
tween the union and the county.
She got active in Local 88
about 10 years ago, and became
a union steward.
“Eventually I became the
lead steward for DCJ [Depart-
ment of Community Justice]
and primarily focused on cases
where people with protected-
class identities were experienc-
ing some kind of workplace dis-
crimination, harassment, harm,”
Baker said.
She later joined the Local 88
Executive Board, and since
May, has also served as Region
3 vice president at the union’s
statewide council, Oregon AF-
SCME.
As president of Local 88,
she’ll lead a team of rank-and-
file union officers, supported by
three union staff representatives:
Eben Pullman, Mecca Scott, and
Brian Dunnaville.
Holding managers account-
able will be a priority, Baker
said. She also wants to take a
new look at the “trial service”
period for newly hired employ-
ees, and questions whether the
one-year probationary period is
too long.
Contract bargaining will be
big on her to-do list.
“Our members are fired up
about bargaining,” Baker said.
The local’s collective bar-
gaining agreements with the
County expire June 30, 2022.
Members are currently filling
out surveys to determine what
priorities will be when negotia-
tions begin. One likely concern
will be cost-of-living increases,
given the recent increase in in-
flation.
Other top Local 88 officers
were also unopposed and de-
clared elected by acclamation:
■ Vice president Raymond De Silva
■ Treasurer Matt Davis
■ Secretary Jackie Vitron
■ Trustees Shirley Bailey, Gordon Long,
Jeanne Ramsten