AFSCME Executive Director Is Out After Being Placed on Leave This Summer

Stacy Chamberlain has led the union since 2018.

IMG_7931 An Oregon AFSCME member attends the Labor Day picnic at Oaks Park in 2019. (Wesley Lapointe) (Wesley Lapointe)
By Sophie Peel

One of the most powerful unions in the state, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 75, pushed out its executive director earlier this month after complaints about her treatment of staff.

As WW previously reported, the union placed executive director Stacy Chamberlain on leave after a formal complaint was lodged about her treatment of subordinates.

Now, the union, which represents more than 33,000 public employees across the state, has terminated its relationship with Chamberlain. The Salem Reporter first reported the departure. It’s the second blow to the union in recent months—this summer, it moved out of its Portland headquarters.

Union spokesman David Kreisman declined to provide a copy of the separation agreement between the union and Chamberlain, but says it includes severance pay. (Her annual salary is $181,000.)

Joe Baessler, the union’s political coordinator and associate director, will serve as interim executive director. He’s also busy hashing out strategy for the Portland City Council election in November 2024, as WW reported earlier this month.

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