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.
Tag:
Tina Kotek
Jobs
Portland weighs public cash for Blazers arena upgrade
Billionaire Tom Dundon, head of an investment group that now owns the Portland Trail Blazers, wants taxpayers to pay for renovations to the Moda Center arena. Portland City Council members, organized labor, and the public are split on the idea.
Oregon
Judge rules Kotek didn’t have authority to order project labor agreements
A December 2024 executive order directed all state agencies to require their construction contractors to commit to use union labor.
Analysis
2025: The rest of the story
Since the start of 2025, we’ve reported over 400 stories. Here's an update about what’s happened since we last reported on some of them.
Union democracy
Introducing … Oregon Building Trades Unions
At its 61st convention, Oregon State Building Trades Council renamed itself Oregon Building Trades Unions and endorsed Kotek and Stephenson.
Oregon
Kotek names unionists to advisory boards
The Senate Committee on Rules is expected to consider and approve the nominations this month.
Oregon
Kotek calls special session to look at transportation funding
The Aug. 29 session will take up legislation to pay for basic road maintenance at the state and local level and to bolster transit funding.
Jobs
Court halts Oregon governor’s executive order requiring project labor agreements
The construction trade group Associated General Contractors led a lawsuit saying Tina Kotek exceeded her legal authority.
Jobs
Associated General Contractors sues Tina Kotek
Oregon's attorney general will defend the governor’s executive order, which directs state agencies to use project labor agreements.
Comment
The truth about project labor agreements
The Oregon labor movement strives to create a fair and just economy for all workers, and PLAs are a crucial part of this effort.
Jobs
Kotek: Oregon will use project labor agreements, period
Oregon's governor is directing all state agencies, when they do construction, to require contractors to commit to using union labor.
Workers Rights
Tina Kotek agrees: BOLI needs a boost
In the two-year budget she proposed on Dec. 2, Kotek is calling for a 30% increase for Oregon’s tiny labor law enforcement bureau.
Jobs
Oregon governor proclaims Lineman Appreciation Day
July 10, 1886 is the day electric lineman Henry Miller — IBEW’s first president — was fatally injured while working to restore power.
Oregon
Kotek appoints unionists to advisory boards
Oregon governor Tina Kotek announced new appointments to state advisory boards, and nominees included several figures from organized labor.
Oregon
Governor Kotek appoints labor lawyer Aruna Masih to Oregon Supreme Court
Masih, 52, has practiced law for more than 25 years. She’s spent most of her career with Bennett Hartman, a prominent pro-labor law firm.
People
Kotek names labor liaison
Bob Livingston, who spent the last 20 years at the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council, will serve as Kotek’s legislative director and labor liaison.
Oregon
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.
Oregon
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.
Politics
Overcoming PERS rancor, Tina Kotek snags all but one union endorsement
In the Oregon governor's race, those unions that have endorsed in the Democratic primary are lining up in support of Tina Kotek.
Oregon
OEA backs Tina Kotek, Christina Stephenson
The endorsements were decided by hundreds of delegates at a two-day virtual convention of the union’s political action committee.
Politics
Tina Kotek: all but one union endorsement so far
The latest unions to endorse the former Oregon House speaker are Northwest Carpenters and SEIU Locals 503 and 49, totaling 96,000 members.
