Northwest Labor Press

More workers go union at Cascadia Behavioral Health

Feb 5, 2020

Two more union election wins add 200 to the existing group of 270 mental health and addiction treatment workers who are bargaining a first union contract.

Lawmaking season in Oregon and Washington

Feb 5, 2020

Oregon and Washington lawmakers have begun their 2020 “short” sessions. Thought timelines are short, labor is still calling on lawmakers to deliver.

TriMet stuck on ending apprenticeship

Feb 5, 2020

Months of pushback from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 has so far failed to persuade TriMet management to put the brakes on a plan to end its apprenticeship programs for bus and light rail mechanics.

Portland Public Schools ratifies union contracts with maintenance, custodians, food service workers

Feb 5, 2020

All told, nearly 600 workers will get raises of 3% to 5% a year and more over the next few years.

Workers Rights

CNN pays $76 million to settle union-busting complaint

Feb 5, 2020

It’s the biggest settlement in the 84-year history of the National Labor Relations Board.

Jordan Cove liquid natural gas project withdraws application for permit to dredge in Coos Bay

Feb 5, 2020

The Oregon Department of State Lands denied the company’s request for an extension and indicated the permit would likely be denied. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to make a final determination on the project next month.

Union membership continues decline

Feb 5, 2020

Union membership dropped in 2019 to 14,574,000, down 170,000 (0.2%) from 2018, according to the latest annual report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Union members also dropped as a percentage of the workforce

Teen Vogue columnist preaches union fire to packed hall of Oregon unionists

Feb 5, 2020

More than 300 unionists took part Jan. 31 in the Oregon Labor Law Conference, a yearly training on collective bargaining, organizing, legislation, and worker rights.

Congressman Blumenauer hears of late and missing mail as a result of postal speedup

Feb 5, 2020

A U.S. Postal Service pilot project called “Consolidated Casing” was supposed to speed up mail carriers and decrease the number of routes.

TriMet awards transit project to union-signatory minority contractor

Feb 5, 2020

Raimore Construction will be the general contractor on the $60 million construction portion of the Division Transit Project, which will be the largest construction contract awarded to a minority contractor in Oregon history.