Workers Rights

Workers’ rights are human rights. They don’t come from laws — they come from being human. In this section, we report on the right to organize and bargain collectively, the right to a decent standard of living, and the right to be treated fairly and with dignity.

L&I says Boeing stiffed its workers on travel pay

Boeing has paid over $11.5 million to 495 employees to resolve complaints that it failed properly pay and account for required travel time.

DOL raises overtime threshold for 4 million salaried workers

Under a new DOL rule, salaried workers who make less than $43,888 a year will qualify for overtime pay effective July 1.

Montessori meltdown: Portland preschools close amid union push

Guidepost Montessori closed two preschools and furloughed nearly 30 workers after workers announced plans to unionize with ILWU Local 5.

New ‘Cemex’ rule makes unionizing easier

It’s the latest measure from the NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo intended to short-circuit union-busting.

Workwear for worrisome streets

Workers who maintain City of Portland sewage infrastructure recently received new city-issued workwear: bulletproof vests.

Potbelly Sandwich spent $100k to fight union

Potbelly hired Optimal Employee Relations of Henderson, Nevada, about a month before workers voted 9-6 to join Restaurant Workers of Portland.

Judge strikes down NLRB’s landmark ‘joint employer’ rule

The National Labor Relations Board was all set to stop companies from dodging labor law by using temp agencies and franchise structures.

Child labor violations at Vancouver trampoline park

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) found that 40 teenage workers at Sky Zone worked more hours than legally allowed.

BOLI head: Oregon labor law enforcement needs fix

Oregon Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson took charge of an agency with chronic underfunding and heavy case backlogs.

NLRB: No more dodging labor law with temp agencies and franchise structures

Workers will soon bargain with all companies that have a say in their working conditions — not just the one whose name is on their paycheck.

Tip theft at Pizzicato and McMenamins

A Portland-area chain agreed to pay $540,000 to 367 employees after U.S. DOL found managers were unlawfully sharing tips given to workers.

Starbucks store closures were illegal

The company started closing stores, citing crime. Sound suspicious? The NLRB says it was a response to the union.

Jacked Co: Unfair. And quite likely unsafe.

Picketing outside a construction work site Dec. 11, Local 701 staff saw first-hand that a non-union crane operator treats workers poorly.

Arrest warrant issued for contractor who failed to pay for benefits

A federal lawsuit has a lesson for contractors: Skip paying workers’ fringe benefits, and a U.S. marshal might show up at your door.

Judge orders Starbucks to rehire fired baristas

Heather Clark and Gail Kleeman are among dozens of union supporters that Starbucks has fired illegally across the country.

Bill would give strikers in Washington the right to unemployment benefits

Senate Bill 5777, filed Dec. 4, is sponsored by Washington State Senator Karen Keiser of Des Moines and has 15 cosponsors.

Nationwide Starbucks strike protests rampant unfair labor practices

The one-day strike, to protest a staggering number of unfair labor practices, included stores in Beaverton, Portland, and Vancouver.

Washington apprentices get help with child care

A Washington state subsidy program drops the monthly cost of child care to $0 to $215, depending on a family’s income.

Shipyard workers in an uproar over paint damage to cars

An improperly contained cruise ship paint job resulted in paint particles floating almost a half-mile to the employee parking lot.

Washington sick leave for construction workers too

Washington is updating its mandatory paid sick leave program to cover construction workers who have historically missed out on the benefit.

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Workers Rights

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