As chronicled in 24 issues of the Northwest Labor Press, the Year 2015 can be remembered for two labor fights that will have impacts for years to come. Nationally, the fight was over Fast Track: Labor went all in to defeat it, but it passed Congress anyway, paving the way for easier passage of more trade agreements that will send jobs overseas.
But in Oregon, 2015 will be remembered as the year workers won the right to sick leave: Starting Jan. 1, 2016, they’ll get 40 hours of sick leave per year — paid where there are 10 or more employees (six or more in Portland), and unpaid where there are fewer. Here are some other highlights (and a few lowlights) of the year:
Oregon
■In the capitol, some real gains for working people Besides sick leave, the Oregon Legislature also approved a state-sponsored low-fee retirement savings plan for the 400,000 private sector workers in Oregon who don’t have an employer-sponsored retirement plan; it will debut in 2017. But lawmakers punted on proposals to increase transportation funding, curb wage theft, and raise the minimum wage.
■PERS cuts struck down The state supreme court ruled it unconstitutional for the Oregon Legislature to reduce cost-of-living increases for retired public employees — after they worked decades to earn their benefits.
■Big organizing win At Eugene’s PeaceHealth Sacred Heart hospital, 1,100 CNAs, housekeepers, and other support workers voted to join SEIU Local 49
■Big projects in limbo Building trades unions got pledges to use union labor from developers on a number of controversial projects, but none moved forward in 2015. Portland welcomed Pembina’s proposed propane export terminal, then reconsidered. The proposed Tesoro-Savage oil train terminal at the Port of Vancouver is up for review by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. And the proposed Jordan Cove liquified natural gas terminal in Coos Bay is under review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Washington
â– Battle royale in the Washington Legislature After rolling one-day strikes by up to 40,000 teachers, lawmakers increased funding for schools and colleges, raised gas taxes to pay for transportation investments, and gave schoolteachers and state employees a raise for the first time in seven years.
■$15 – Now – in Seatac The state supreme court upheld Seatac’s $15 minimum wage, and tossed Alaska Airlines’ lawsuit against it.
National
â– TPP negotiations conclude Now that the negotiations are complete for the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, union trade policy experts say the secretly-bargained trade deal is as bad as they feared it would be. And organized labor is gearing up for the fight in Congress against ratifying it.
■The Fight for $15 Campaigns for a $15 an hour minimum wage continued to gain momentum. New York passed a statewide $15 minimum wage for the  fast-food industry. And Los Angeles joined Seattle and San Francisco in phasing in $15 citywide.
Gone but not forgotten
The local labor movement lost some dedicated hands in 2015. They are remembered for the lives they led in service of the trade union movement. Among them:
â– Bob Stanfill, a leader of Plasterers Local 82 and Oregon State Building Trades Council
â– Ed Whelan, former Oregon AFL-CIO president
â– Bruce Zimmerman, former president of IBEW Local 48
â– Billy McNicholas, former leader of the Portland Metal Trades Council and Local 290
â– Robert Crumpton, retired Oregon Education Association (OEA) executive director
â– Ron Fortune, former head of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council
SEE ALSO: What’s ahead for labor in 2016
