Northwest Labor Press is an independent union-supported newspaper founded in 1900. Our print version is mailed twice a month to about 45,000 members of over three dozen local unions in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our online version has been maintained here since 1997.
Analysis
Unions drop back to 10.3% of workforce
Last year’s jump in the percentage of workers who are union-represented appears to have been related to COVID.
2021 in labor
The year 2021 in labor: A strike wave, eye-popping wage gains in bargaining, statehouse victories. And polls say unions are popular again.
Nurse union warns staffing shortage is at crisis levels
In one survey by Oregon Nurses Association, 60% of nurses said they're considering leaving the profession.
Poll: Union approval at its highest level since 1965
In the latest Gallup poll results, 68% of Americans said they approve of unions, 28% disapprove, and 4% had no opinion.
As the nation reeled, CEO pay rose
CEO pay increased an incredible $712,720 last year on average among S&P 500 companies, according to the latest annual report by the AFL-CIO.
July 1, the day ‘Free trade’ died
ITC says 40 years of trade deals didn’t help much. Our assessment: They accelerated the loss of American manufacturing.
Strikes disappear again in 2020
It looks like the 2018-2019 strike surge was a blip, not the start of a new trend. Last year there were just 8 strikes of over 1,000 workers.
Unions in 2020: membership is down, but share of workforce is up
Union members continue to out-earn nonunion workers—19.4% more, on average. And Oregon now ties with California as the 7th most unionized.
2020 in review
As chronicled in the Northwest Labor Press, here are some of the year’s most important developments for organized labor and working people.
A labor movement look at the 2020 election results
How labor-backed candidates and ballot measures fared locally and nationwide.
Gallup poll shows public approval of unions growing
This year, 65% of respondents said they approve, tying with 2003 and 1999 as the highest levels in the last 53 years.
Nationwide strike wave continued in 2019
The strike wave that began in 2018 continued in 2019, according to the annual work stoppages report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Union membership continues decline
Union membership dropped in 2019 to 14,574,000, down 170,000 (0.2%) from 2018, according to the latest annual report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics...
2019 in review
As chronicled in the Northwest Labor Press, here are some of the year’s most important developments for labor and working people.
In Oregon, having a union at work means an extra $4,701 a year, and better benefits
A new report from the University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Center finds that Oregon workers covered by a union contract earn 11 percent more than non-union workers.
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.
2018 in review
As chronicled in the Northwest Labor Press, here are some of the most important developments for labor and working people in 2018.
How to restore the power of unions
Unions have been under decades of attack, but several labor thinkers have put forward ideas to spark the comeback that working people need.
Lessons of the West Virginia teachers strike
One of the strike’s leaders will be visiting Portland July 23.
Janus is upon us, ready or not
More than ever, public sector unions will need to engage members to take on the work of the union, and focus on bargaining for the common good.
