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
Early tremors appear in Kaiser bargaining
Kaiser Permanente contract negotiations are heating up after the healthcare system retracted a tentative agreement on successorship.
New union contract raises Oregon homecare wages to $25 by 2027
The proposed contract also adds four new holidays, where workers will make 1.5 times their normal rate for the first eight hours worked.
Bend Bulletin union appeals to public for support
Union members are asking subscribers to sign a pledge to cancel their subscription if the company fails to agree to a fair contract.
Shop New Seasons again … for a day
The union is suspending the boycott July 3 and 4 for a "shop-in" to show the company that the public supports workers at the 11 union stores.
Contract talks hit a sour note at All Classical Radio
Workers at KQAC — 89.9 FM All Classical Portland — are represented by IBEW Local 48. They’re ready to strike.
Full circle: union rep bargains with his formerly nonunion employer
Gensco’s new Salem sheet metal fab shop is poised to grow, and workers will have a union contract with Sheet Metal Local 16.
Reed College students win first contract
Student housing advisors at Reed College got a first union contract days before they planned to picket the college’s graduation.
Vigor shipyard workers ratify new contract
The new agreement raises compensation $5.14 an hour over three years. But the road to ratification was rocky.
New City of Portland union gets first agreement after strike vote and mediation marathon
City of Portland Professional Workers unionized in June 2023 and had been in bargaining for well over a year.
City of Vancouver workers cut health costs and reclaim lost benefits in new union deal
OPEIU Local 11 represents 175 parking enforcement officers, construction inspectors, accountants, customer service representatives and others.
UO student workers win first contract after 10-day strike
University of Oregon student workers secured wage increases, paid sick time, and grievance arbitration in a tentative agreement.
UO undergrad workers strike for a contract
As many as 4,000 student workers at UO went on strike April 28, shutting down university dining halls — and an active construction site.
After 200-day strike, Bigfoot locks out returning Teamsters
After long labor dispute, Bigfoot plans to keep the striker replacements it hired and hire back strikers when positions open up.
Hash brown makers stick with the union
Workers rejected a de-certification effort, and ratified a Teamsters-negotiated contract that extends their shifts to 12 hours.
New PSU contract gives biggest raises to lower-paid workers
The agreement covers 1,172 workers represented by PSU chapter of American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
Vigor shipyard workers poised to strike
Metal trades unions at the Portland shipyard have terminated their contract extension, paving the way for a strike.
Gains for Clark County unions in new set of contracts
“Me too” arbitration win plays a big role in contract gains.
Strike averted at Clackamas County
The independent union saw decent contract gains after taking a strike vote for the first time ever.
Arbitrator imposes terms after letter carriers vote down deal
National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and USPS agreed to submit to an expedited binding arbitration to decide contract terms.
Exec getting raises? We get one too!
Clark County unions notch a win for pay fairness.
