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.
Don McIntosh
Editor Don McIntosh has been with the Northwest Labor Press since 1998. Born in Baltimore, he moved to Portland in 1985, and first practiced journalism at the Daily Vanguard, Portland State University's student newspaper. After earning a bachelor's in history, he served as an underground union organizer (salt) with Teamsters Local 174 in Seattle. Back in Portland, he wrote for the Portland Business Journal and Willamette Week and was editor of the Portland Alliance, a monthly community newspaper.
Union democracy
Return of SEIU lifts AFL-CIO to nearly 15 million
SEIU, America’s second largest union, is rejoining the AFL-CIO, adding more than 1.8 million members to the federation’s existing 13 million.
National
Dock workers reach agreement ahead of strike
Leaders of the International Longshore Association say support from president-elect Donald Trump made the difference.
Oregon
Oregon unions prepare pro-labor agenda for 2025 legislative session
Funding BOLI, unemployment for strikers, and sectoral bargaining are some top labor priorities when the legislature meets Jan. 25 to June 29.
Washington
Washington labor will push major worker-friendly reforms in 2025
Washington State Labor Council wants the state to be first in the nation to mandate paid vacation.
Workers Rights
Underfunded and Overwhelmed: Oregon’s labor commissioner will make the case for a big budget boost
Christina Stephenson, Oregon’s top labor law enforcer, says years of underfunding have created a crisis for her agency.
National
Annual homeless count nears three quarters of a million
One in every 435 people living in the United States is homeless. And that's an 18.1% increase over the previous year.
Union Organizing
NLRB: Medford hospital must recognize union
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center breaches labor law; NLRB says the hospital must recognize (and bargain with) SEIU Local 49.
People
Introducing Anna Del Savio
Northwest Labor Press has a new staff reporter! Anna Del Savio joined the press as a full-time employee in September 2024.
In Memoriam
Gloria Schiewe 1930-2024
A dedicated union worker, she had a lifelong commitment to Democratic politics and led campaign work for Northwest Oregon Labor Council.
Retirement
Federal pension rescue is expected to help 2 million union members
The Biden administration rescued pension funds headed toward insolvency, preventing two million union members from losing benefits.
Analysis
Joe Biden: The best president labor ever had
He promised to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history. His administration went out of their way to keep that promise.
National
Carter presidency was a turning point for labor
Jimmy Carter's post-presidency work earned wide admiration, but his policies in office on labor were disastrous.
National
The do-nothing Congress
This most recent Congress was the least productive since before the Civil War — just 158 bills in two years.
Retirement
Congress restores Social Security to public workers
Thanks to end-of-session action by Congress, about 2.5 million local, state, and federal employees will have benefits restored.
Jobs
Kotek: Oregon will use project labor agreements, period
Oregon's governor is directing all state agencies, when they do construction, to require contractors to commit to using union labor.
International
Local unions resolve to defend immigrants
AFT Local 111, Painters Local 10, IATSE Local 28 and Ironworkers Local 29 have passed resolutions pledging to mobilize members.
Worker safety
Workers killed on the job
An estimated 5,283 U.S. workers died of injuries on the job in 2023, according to the latest report by the BLS, released Dec. 19.
Union democracy
Ávalos follows Kossak as Cement Masons Local 555 business manager
Geoff Kossak retired Dec. 27. The local appointed business agent José Ávalos Guzmán to serve the two years remaining on his elected term.
Analysis
2024 in labor
For New Years, we took a look at the most important events for organized labor and working people — in Oregon, Washington and nationwide.
Jobs
Kroger-Albertsons merger collapses
Kroger’s costly effort to buy Albertsons fell apart when not one but two judges blocked the grocery merger. Now Albertsons is suing Kroger.
