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.
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.
Lawmakers hear a plea for safety
Unions are backing a bill in the Oregon legislature to mandate protection for workers who interact with violent mentally ill patients.
Legislative inaction means injuries at school will remain unrecorded
Lawmakers once again said no to a proposal to mandate reporting when school workers are injured — by students.
Oregon Senate passes a scaled-back worker assault bill
Oregon Nurses Association wanted a bill to protect healthcare workers. Too specific, said some lawmakers.
Vancouver firefighters salute end to self-insured workers comp
Self-insurance led to abuses when injured workers filed claims, says International Association of Fire Fighters Local 452.
IBEW Local 48 member gets Red Cross lifesaving award
Bryan Barker's actions on the job saved the life of a fellow worker who fell 20 feet and suffered a severe cut on his arm.
Survey: Oregon public employees are unprotected amid growing threats
In a worker safety survey, 67% reported physical violence, threat, trauma, or injury in the workplace and 15% reported physical assaults.
To protect highway workers, lawmakers look to speed cameras
John Hanner wants lawmakers to know that photo radar in highway work zones could avert deaths and injuries — like the one he suffered.
Child labor violator gets Port of Longview contract
Port commissioners voted to approve a $44 million contract for Rotschy, which was fined over $200,000 for safety and child labor violations.
Workers killed on the job
An estimated 5,283 U.S. workers died of injuries on the job in 2023, according to the latest report by the BLS, released Dec. 19.
‘Beyond failure’ – Washington teen loses legs at school-based work program
Thousands of students enroll in work-for-credit programs, but a 16-year-old’s case shows life-altering consequences of risky jobs and murky oversight.
Florida bans local rules to protect workers from heat
Texas passed similar legislation in 2023, banning local rules that would require water breaks for construction workers.
When temperatures rise, stay safe at work
State-level workplace heat rules can save lives, but only if workers and employers know about them.
Union ironworker dies after workplace accident at Benson High School
Samantha “Sam” Deschenes was 33, and leaves behind a nine-year-old son. Union members are contributing to help her family.
Dirty drinking water? Portland shipyard workers say no thanks
Complaints started coming in that at some of the stations, the water was coming out discolored with debris.
Workers Memorial: a solemn reminder
Every year, the national AFL-CIO produces a report on the state of worker safety and health in America, titled Death on the Job.
The 10 most dangerous jobs
Vehicle accidents and falls caused more than half of on-the-job deaths in 2022. Here are the jobs with the highest rates of fatal injuries.
