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.
Worker safety
If there’s one workplace right that stands above the rest, it’s the right to go home safely at the end of the day. In this section, we report on occupational safety and health, workplace toxins, ergonomics, and the agencies that are supposed to protect worker safety.
How to stay ahead of the heat: Cool tips for those who work outdoors
In recent years more than 60 workers a year in Washington and 20 workers a year in Oregon have suffered serious harm from heat.
Longview paper mill accident kills 11 workers
Governor Ferguson calls the May 26 incident the ‘deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington history.’
Rotschy teaching safety? Say it isn’t so
The Vancouver construction contractor has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for safety and child labor violations in recent years.
KILLED ON THE JOB IN 2025
Here are the names of the 39 workers who died on the job or from injuries sustained while working in Oregon and Southwest Washington in 2025.
Firefighters face the threat of toxins in protective gear
State and local jurisdictions are moving to ban forever chemicals in the protective gear they wear on the job.
Wildcat walkout by Fort Vancouver teachers
About half the teachers walked out March 4 in reaction to offensive posts on an anonymous Instagram account.
Transformer factory fined nearly $1M for repeat safety violations
Faulty cranes and electrical burns: This Idaho plant is a repeat offender.
Rotschy fined $184K after excavator bucket crushes worker
The pattern of unsafe practices could result in being placed on L&I’s severe violators list.
Support for ironworker injured on the job
The Local 29 member suffered serious injury, requiring surgery and over a week of hospitalization. He'll be off for months as he recovers.
Albany steelworkers exposed to toxic gas
Seven workers were transported to the hospital after zirconium tetrachloride was released at ATI Millersburg Operations Sept. 9.
Six workers killed in manure pit accident
According to local news reports, the workers entered a confined space and were exposed to gas at Prospect Valley Dairy, 41 miles northeast of Denver.
Clark County sheriff declines to investigate teen worker’s amputation case
The sheriff’s office cited a lack of victim and witness cooperation as the reason for not investigating, according to a June 11 letter.
Public scrutiny of contractors grows after Rotschy accidents
New responsible bidder rules at several local governments in Southwest Washington could keep dangerous builders off public projects.
Trades stand vigil at Rotschy
For months, unions have been warning about a non-union Vancouver contractor with a record of safety violations. Now they’re getting louder.
Floor covering STARs
Safety training pays off! Local floor coverers who pursue skills and safety education are honored with a banquet and prizes.
Washington seeks felony charges after teen loses legs
L&I submitted an unprecedented referral against Rotschy construction for letting a minor use dangerous equipment.
Trump administration slashes worker safety research
The administration is looking to cut two-thirds of the 1,300 staff of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
KILLED ON THE JOB IN 2024
In 2025, at least 45 workers died on the job in Oregon, at least 5 in SW Washington. Here are the names of those who lost their lives.
Nanoparticles may be in your workplace. Are they safe?
You can’t see them with the naked eye, but there’s a good chance you’re in contact with nanoparticles. Here are six things you should know.
Former OSHA chief says there’s danger ahead
Jordan Barab served eight years as the Obama administration’s number two official at the agency in charge of worker safety and health.
