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
Oregon public employee unions reach deal with state
Union bargainers agree — for the first time — to give up fully-paid health coverage.
Steelworkers ratify pact at Georgia-Pacific’s Wauna mill
At a paper mill in Wauna, Oregon, USW ratified Georgia-Pacific’s final contract proposal.
Mt. Hood college, faculty reach last-minute contract
A late-breaking contract settlement averted a planned strike at Mt. Hood Community College.
Transit Union dispute with TriMet may not settle until spring 2012
A union contract at TriMet which covers 2,000 bus and rail operators, mechanics, and support staff expired Nov. 30, 2009.
Koch brothers have presence in Oregon
Georgia-Pacific has changed since it was bought in 2005 by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch.
Plumbers and Fitters Local 290 ratifies new three-year contract
A new three-year contract provides for increases of $1.75, $2, and $2.25.
Bob Tiernan will oversee bargaining at Dosha Salon
Newly unionized Dosha Salon and Spa hired former Oregon Republican Party chair Bob Tiernan to oversee bargaining.
Portland school teachers ratify new contract
A belt-tightening union contract wasn’t good enough for well-connected critics at a March 7 school board meeting.
Wisconsin governor’s union-busting ignites national backlash
The uprising began Feb. 11 when Republican Scott Walker proposed a law to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights.
We are all Wisconsin: Nationwide fightback on the rise
A new crop of Republican governors has declared war on unions, provoking the biggest showdown since Reagan fired air traffic controllers in 1981.
Conciliator has TriMet and ATU talking after threat of strike
Amid threats of a wildcat transit strike, a state conciliator on Jan. 28 made headway.
Major union contracts coming up for negotiation in 2011
Employers — both private and public sector — propose takebacks in a bad economy.
ATU dispute with TriMet persists; conciliator called in
Before leaving office, Gov. Kulongoski asked a state conciliator to help resolve the dispute.
UNITE HERE warns of possible labor disputes at Northwest hotels
Union contracts expire this summer at a number of Portland and Seattle hotels.
Union pilots at Evergreen Airlines authorize strike
Union pilots voted to strike if no agreement is reached. Bargaining has been going on for six years.
Transit Union pickets TriMet board meeting
Members of ATU Local 757 held an informational picket at a Nov. 10 TriMet board of directors meeting. ATU is trying to raise public awareness of a contract dispute it has with the transit agency.
Transit Union 757 pushes back
TriMet board members got some heat Oct. 28 over the transit agency’s decision to impose terms on union members while it waits for an arbitrator to pick between union and management final contract offers.
ATU balks at Tri-Met plan to impose contract
While ATU Local 757 officers were away attending the convention of their international union, TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane announced a wage freeze and a requirement that employees contribute to health insurance premiums — without the agreement of the union.
DCTU reaches tentative contract with City of Portland
Following months of often contentious bargaining, a coalition of seven unions representing 1,800 city employees reached a tentative agreement with the City of Portland on a new three-year contract.
Portland school teachers reach tentative contract
Deal reached nine days after impasse.
