Mallory Gruben

Mallory Gruben joined the Northwest Labor Press as staff reporter in 2023. Gruben grew up in rural Colorado, where her mom was the president of her letter carriers union local. At Hastings College she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and campaigned successfully to save the student newspaper. Since then, she’s worked at The Daily News in Longview, Washington, freelanced for the Newport News-Times and The Astorian, and served as a local reporter and Report for America corps member at The Daily Herald in Everett, Washington. She helped unionize the newsroom at The Herald with the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild.

Port of Portland to close its container terminal

The closure of Oregon’s only international shipping container service in October could affect nearly 1,500 jobs across the state.

Tensions rising between NW Natural and union

The utility company informed union workers that it plans to train non-union staff to do their jobs in case there is a strike.

Funeral home chain could go union

Teamsters Local 305 has launched a union campaign for undertakers employed by Service Corporation International in Oregon and Washington.

PeaceHealth offer would lock in lower pay for home care

Home care RNs have a critical decision to make: agree to be paid less than hospital nurses, or go on strike a second time for equal pay. 

Montessori meltdown: Portland preschools close amid union push

Guidepost Montessori closed two preschools and furloughed nearly 30 workers after workers announced plans to unionize with ILWU Local 5.

SMART 16 protests data center for dumping union contractor

HITT Construction replaced Local 16 union crews with a non-local, non-union subcontractor at the last minute. 

Blumenauer’s final stand: Cutting back a trade loophole

Nearly a billion packages were mailed directly and duty free from China to U.S. consumers last year, some containing narcotics.

New ‘Cemex’ rule makes unionizing easier 

It’s the latest measure from the NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo intended to short-circuit union-busting.

300 more PeaceHealth SW workers go union

The unit would include audiologists, pharmacists, counselors, dieticians, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and others.

New contract at Portland Hilton, after two years bargaining

A new agreement with UNITE HERE Local 8 raises wages and restores automatic daily room cleaning at the Hilton and Duniway hotels in Portland. 

The 10 most dangerous jobs

Vehicle accidents and falls caused more than half of on-the-job deaths in 2022. Here are the jobs with the highest rates of fatal injuries.

Killed on the job in 2023

Here are the names of the 66 Oregon and Southwest Washington workers who died on the job or from injuries sustained while working last year.

Increasingly, letter carriers face armed robbery

To counter a 200% increase in robberies of letter carriers in the last six years, lawmakers introduced a new bill at their union's request. 

On a mission to organize every sign shop

One diehard union supporter has played a part in all three sign shops that unionized in the last several years.

Vancouver school districts cut staff amid $54M deficit

Facing multi-million dollar budget deficits, Vancouver’s two school districts are on track to eliminate 402 positions.

Union arts employers pinched by rising rents, falling support

Oregon Symphony is paying 50% more for the Schnitzer, and arts tax funds are being diverted to smaller groups.

Mt. Hood faculty win raises

A new four-year contract raises pay 18-21% for about 150 faculty members represented by the MHCC Faculty Association.

Teacher strike averted at Salem-Keizer schools

Salem-Keizer Education Association represents more than 2,600 teachers in Oregon’s second-largest school district.

Tillamook bus drivers get 5-year contract

The five-year contract with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 raises starting wages about 22% and adds Juneteenth as a paid holiday.

Vancouver firm fined in grisly accident is repeat child labor offender

After a 16-year-old lost both legs in a workplace accident, an investigation found Rotschy has committed dozens of child labor law violations.