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.
People
Five decades a Machinist
Bob Petroff left Machinists District Lodge W24 headquarters this month, the close of 49 years of involvement with the union.
Planting the seeds of solidarity
Union stewards like OPEIU Local 11 officer Kim King are the backbone of the labor movement.
Marcy Grail departs IBEW
Marcy Grail left IBEW Local 125 for a position at Kiewit. Russell Smith was appointed to succeed her as assistant business manager.
‘Organize the work’
After a decade helming the local union building trades, Willy Myers leaves a unique legacy.
Labor Council ambush: Union volunteer honored for ‘Job well done’
Near the close of NW Oregon Labor Council’s Oct. 23 delegates meeting, Mark Sturbois was called to the front for a surprise ceremony.
PERSONNEL REPORT
Staff changes at OPEIU Local 11, Oregon AFSCME, Oregon AFL-CIO, Oregon Building Trades, and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley's office.
Local 29 ironworker will work for Washington building trades
Journeyman Minna Long started a new job Aug. 28 with the Washington State Building Trades Council.
Referee for democracy
Larry Taylor is on a mission: training members on how to use the tools of democracy in their unions.
Jodi Guetzloe Parker’s life in Labor
Never one to seek the limelight, she served the Laborers for decades as a tireless foot soldier for the cause of labor.
UO LERC now fully staffed
The addition of Rebekah Whittaker and Janet Bauer means LERC can expand its reach of research and trainings.
New union rep for Northwest Natural
Jordan Fosdick, a service technician at the natural gas utility, will represent nearly 600 members of OPEIU Local 11.
The skill to save a life
A union crane operator earns a police commendation for keeping cool when it mattered.
WHY SHE LEFT
Nurses are burned out and quitting the profession like never before. One psychiatric nurse shares why she quit her job at Unity.
Juggling, hula-hooping bus driver hears birds calling
Bus operator Cindy Kassab, a member of ATU Local 747, heads into retirement with honors after a record 47 years driving for TriMet.
Union: How to turn a job into a career
Workers who help homeless addicts can be one mishap away from homelessness themselves. Their union gives hope it can be a longterm calling.
Roofer to professor, and back again
Local 49’s new organizer Matt Lambert is ready to scream the union gospel from the rooftops.
End of the line
The chief union steward at Portland's shipyard is retiring after 35 years on the waterfront, and 30 years as a member of Laborers Local 737.
The power to elevate
In January, April Sims became Washington's top labor leader. She shared the story of her rise with the Labor Press.
The job: Put an end to homelessness
Katie DeSantis was homeless for 20 years. Then she secured stable housing, earned a degree, and began working for homeless service agencies.
Apprentice tells her story at the Capitol
Culture change in construction is real, and it’s happening, Local 290 member Kasey Finegan told lawmakers and their staffmembers.
