Monthly Archives: January, 2019

Shutting down the shutdown

In the end, it was action by aviation workers that led Trump to end the shutdown.

Teacher strike wave continues

Los Angeles teachers could have accepted management’s offer and spent the next few years complaining about it. Instead, they went on strike, all 32,000 of them, and won a stunning series of concessions. And in Vancouver, 700 paraeducators and other school support staff won a 17.5% increase hours before their strike was to begin.

Isn’t it about time for a budget bump for BOLI?

Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries has half the staff it had two decades ago, and newly installed commissioner Val Hoyle says it's time to restore funding.

What’s at stake for working people in the 2019 Oregon Legislature

Majority Democrats have some big agenda items in the 2019 Oregon Legislature, including a carbon cap, renters rights, and revenue reform.

Police union raids AFSCME at 911

Members of the Portland Police Association hand-delivered letters to emergency communications dispatchers inviting them to leave their union, AFSCME, and instead join the police union.

IWW union hall vandalized

Local labor unionists pledge solidarity after the union hall is targeted by a right-wing group.

Honoring union screen actors, in Hollywood and at home

Unlike the better-known Oscars, the annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards are for acting only, and honorees are chosen by their fellow union members. In Portland, the annual SAG Awards Watch party doubled as a fundraiser for a beloved figure in the local.

Training for a rescue at 50 feet

Theater and concert workers often spend time at great heights — hoisting gear at rock concerts or setting up and operating truss-mounted spotlights.  Their union is working to improve members’ readiness to quickly rescue a coworker in the event of an accident. 

The latest figures on union membership

The latest BLS report shows Washington as the nation's third most-unionized, while Oregon is tied for #11.

Union printers merge: Morel Ink acquires NuWay Printing

Union-endorsed political campaigns make up a sizable chunk of Morel and NuWay clients, so the union label is a big deal.

Washington AFL-CIO will push the Democrats on pro-worker agenda

Last November’s election resulted in stronger majorities of pro-labor Democrats in the 2019 legislative session that began Jan. 14.

LA teachers strike for smaller classes

The first teacher strike in LA in 30 years is the latest in a wave of teacher strikes that began last year.

To restore their pension, Plasterers reduce benefits

The 2008 financial crisis is still claiming new victims.

Trump labor bureau appointments: Still vacant

At the Labor Department, half the top jobs remain unfilled.

Federal workers are bearing the burden of the Trump shutdown

With the partial government shutdown in its third week, an estimated 800,000 federal employees are having to cope with missing paychecks.

A manufactured crisis

The real crisis isn't on the southern border. It’s in the Oval Office. 

Reversing course, OHSU agrees to recognize grad student union

The two sides have agreed to begin bargaining by March 15.

At BOLI, a labor champion takes the reins

Newly installed Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle has had lifelong ties to the union movement, and named several labor figures to her staff.

The untold story of a big union win

Before Oregon home care workers unionized in 2001, they earned $8.14 an hour and had no benefits, not even workers’ comp for injuries on the job. A new documentary tells their story.

Charter bus firm would rather give up contract than operate union

When drivers voted to unionize, MTR Western terminated its contract to run Columbia County’s CC Rider transit service.

Transit union cries foul as TriMet contracts out shuttle service for its own drivers

Is Oregon’s largest transit agency incapable of operating a single shuttle bus? You might think so given a recent TriMet board action.

Union cannabis comes to Oregon

UFCW represents workers at the new Salem location of Seattle-based cannabis retail chain Have a Heart.