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.
Collective bargaining
Nurses reject offer, extend strike at Providence hospitals
Providence spends $25 million per week on strikebreakers as nurses fight for fair wages, safe staffing levels.
Oregon
Bill would end bar on unemployment benefits for strikers
Striking workers face financial distress, and companies can use this to their advantage. SB 916 intends to even the playing field.
Washington
Washington bill would rein in self-checkout
UFCW Local 555 spokesperson notes that self-checkout stations harm both customers and grocery store employees.
Culture
Chappell Roan to labels: Pay artists a living wage!
Chappell Roan promised herself that if she every won a Grammy, she would use the speech to demand that labels treat artists better.
Culture
Portland Labor Day picnic will return to Oaks Park
After four years, NOLC's yearly Labor Day party will return to the amusement park and this year attendees with have it all to themselves.
Worker safety
Child labor violator gets Port of Longview contract
Port commissioners voted to approve a $44 million contract for Rotschy, which was fined over $200,000 for safety and child labor violations.
National
Merkley backs Chavez-DeRemer for labor secretary
No date has been set yet for a Senate confirmation hearing.
Jobs
Judge tosses Biden order on project labor agreements
So far, President Trump has left in place the Biden order requiring PLAs on federal construction projects.
Politics
All in for Mayor Anne
Supporters of Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle packed the Fire Fighters Local 452 hall Jan. 30 to launch her campaign for re-election.
Union democracy
Hockey players join AFL-CIO
Two North American players’ associations are formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council.Â
Culture
Screen Actors Guild Awards
SAG-AFTRA’s annual public awards ceremony is set to stream live on Netflix from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23.
Union democracy
SEIU Local 925 rejoins Washington AFL-CIO
The move adds over 12,000 affiliated members to the state labor federation, which represents over 500,000 union members in 600 local unions.Â
Union democracy
Elevator Constructors Local 23 swears in officers
The local represents workers who build and maintain elevators, escalators, and moving walkways. They're the best paid of any building trades.
Analysis
Union membership down again in 2024
The U.S. union membership rate is now 9.9%, and just 5.9% for private sector workers, according to the latest annual BLS report.
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.Â
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 millionÂ
One in every 435 people living in the United States is homeless. And that's an 18.1% increase over the previous year.
