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.
Collective bargaining
Teachers at virtual public school get union contract
The state’s only teachers union at an online-only school ratified its first contract in a unanimous March 10 vote.
Techs win first contract at hospital in The Dalles
Hospital techs at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles have ratified their first union contract, almost 18 months after unionizing.
Laborers strike shuts CertainTeed shingle plant
Three days after voting down a company contract offer, workers at a Northwest Portland roof shingle factory walked out and shut it down.
Miners end 23-month strike at Warrior Met Coal
Roughly 1,100 union members walked off the job April 1, 2021. They're set to go back March 2 under the terms of their old contract.
City workers win wage gains after 3-day strike
The wastewater treatment plant picket drew a police presence after unsubstantiated allegations by Portland mayor Ted Wheeler of picket line violence.
Portland City Laborers begin strike
Laborers Local 483 wants raises that keep up with inflation. City HR says no, and Mayor Wheeler prepares to hire scabs.
ATU wants an end to forced overtime in Lane Transit District contract
About 225 workers are covered by the contract, including bus operators, mechanics, customer service representatives and more.
New Seasons union begins contract negotiations
Union and management agree they’re bargaining a contract that covers all stores represented by the union, rather than separate contracts for each store.
Portland recreation dispute near resolution
City of Portland HR tried to pull a fast one: A revised step scale in which no one would be paid at the top step.
UC grad workers end historic strike with big wins
The strike won pay increases of over 25% for teaching assistants, tutors and researchers, and that’s inspiring grad workers elsewhere.
Residential electricians get $4/hour increase
The one-year contract covers work on single-family homes, duplexes, and some multi-family buildings in Oregon and Washington.
Sound & Comm electricians get $3.43 raise
The one-year contract between IBEW Local 48 and NECA covers more than 750 workers in the Sound & Communications unit.
Multnomah County: You’ll get your pay … later
The county says workers won’t get retroactive raises—ratified in November with back pay stretching back to July—until February.
Portland laborers closer to strike
Laborers Local 483 and the City are far apart on wage negotiations, meaning workers across three City bureaus could strike in early February.
City workers practice picketing as management continues to stall
In the month since the City of Portland pledged to present its wage proposal to Laborers Local 483, workers still haven’t received an offer.
United Airlines unions unite on bargaining
Together, the 78,000 workers represented by the five member unions make up 85% of United Airlines’ workforce.
Massive graduate worker strike shuts down UC system
The University of California work stoppage is the biggest U.S. strike of 2022, and also the biggest higher education strike in U.S. history.
Biden: Congress should impose rail contract
To win paid sick days, union rail workers are ready for a nationwide strike. But Biden wants Congress to force them to accept a contract they rejected.
What do airport workers want? Raises that beat inflation
Portland International Airport workers represented by IBEW Local 48 and Laborers Local 483 are tired of working without raises.
AFSCME Local 88 members ratify Multnomah County contract
The vote came after about seven months of bargaining and a handful of rallies AFSCME staged outside county facilities.
