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.
Oregon/Washington
Taking a pro-worker agenda to our state capitols
Lawmakers in Oregon and Washington have big plans to help working people in this year's legislative sessions.
Rideshare driver protections start Jan. 1 in Washington
They include minimum per-minute, per-mile and per-trip rates drivers must be paid; paid sick leave; workers compensation; and more.
Oregon paid leave ready to launch
Starting next September, Oregon workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks off using paid, parental leave.
Catching up with Christina
Worker-side labor attorney Christina Stephenson, Oregon’s next labor commissioner, describes her priorities for the job when she takes office next month.
WORKER POWER
During the 2022 election season, union backing was the decisive factor in hard-fought competitions like the race for Oregon governor.Â
For union-backed campaigns, mostly wins
Communicating with members, turning out volunteers, contributing to campaigns ... labor organizations had a real impact on election night.
Hospital board faces union-backed recall
The campaign submitted enough signatures to the Coos County Clerk’s office to hold a recall election for two Bay Area Health District board members.
Kotek embraces labor support in final election push
Tina Kotek has appeared at union meetings and alongside numerous labor allies in the days leading up to the election.
Union Guide to the 2022 General Election
This ballot guide lists candidates who have at least one labor organization endorsing them and who have opponents on the ballot.
Labor makes all-out push for Kotek
As House speaker for nine years, Democratic candidate for governor Tina Kotek delivered landmark union-backed legislation year after year.
Stephenson: Labor laws mean little without enforcement
Christina Stephenson says heightening BOLI’s wage theft enforcement will be a top priority if she’s elected as labor commissioner.
Unions back recall of Coos Bay hospital board
Decisions to close a psychiatric ward and hire a CEO previously convicted of fraud sparked community outrage.
Labor’s chance to send a nurse to Salem
Filling Betsy Johnson’s former seat with a solid unionist would be a big win for labor advocates in Oregon.
Recall removes unionist from Eugene City Council
Longtime union activist Claire Syrett, who was serving her third term on the Eugene City Council, lost a Sept. 6 special recall election.
Primary propels SW Washington labor candidates on to November
Every labor-backed candidate in SW Washington’s Aug. 2 primary will advance to the general election, and two ballot measures were approved.
State audit: Oregon Employment Department was already struggling—before the pandemic
The agency says it has hired hundreds of new workers and is making a handful of changes to improve claim response times.
National three-digit suicide hotline launches
At Oregon's Lines for Life, newly unionized call-takers expect a jump in call volume as the program rolls out.
A Union Guide to Washington’s August 2022 primary
This union-focused ballot guide for Southwest Washington keeps it simple: It only lists candidates who have at least one union endorsement.
Portland-area minimum wage reaches $14.75
Oregon’s minimum wage gets its last big increase July 1 under a 2016 law that phased in raises over six years.
Oregon primary election results
Oregon labor notched mostly wins in the 2022 primary election, particularly in the races that were the highest priority.
