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November 10, 2026

Why 800 Portland City Workers Are Striking. Plus, Rat in Your Toilet? Bear at Fred Meyer? It's a Thing.

City Cast Portland

Why 800 Portland City Workers Are Striking. Plus, Rat in Your Toilet? Bear at Fred Meyer? It's a Thing.

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We're breaking down the labor dispute that's sent 800 members of the city's professional workers' union out on strike, how we got here, and what might come next. Plus: from toilet rats to bears, why are so many animals turning up in unexpected places this fall? Executive producer John Notarianni is joined by KBOO news director Althea Billings and outdoor expert Norther Emily, owner of Wild Solitude Guiding.

Discussed in today's episode:

⁠What to do if there's a RAT in the toilet⁠ [Multnomah County Health Department/ Instagram]

⁠Hundreds of City Workers to Strike Next Week, Barring 11th-Hour Miracle⁠ [Portland Mercury]

⁠City of Portland workers could be headed for strikes⁠ [Northwest Labor Press]

⁠Help Keep Bears Wild⁠ [Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife]

Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up ⁠here⁠.⁠ ⁠

Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at ⁠portland@citycast.fm⁠, or leave us a voicemail at ⁠503-208-5448⁠.

Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our ⁠morning newsletter⁠ and be sure to follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠. Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at ⁠citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, November 10 episode:

⁠Salishan Coastal Lodge⁠

⁠Discover Newport⁠

⁠St. Rose School⁠

⁠OPB ⁠

⁠Zupan's Markets⁠

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