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.
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.
Hood River Distillers ordered to pay strikers
The company violated federal labor law in 2020 when it refused to take back workers who took part in an unfair labor practice strike.
Trump cancels union rights for TSA officers
Trump appointee Kristi Noem ended collective bargaining for 47,000 TSA officers, trash-talked the union, and slammed public employee rights.
Judge: Trump firing of NLRB member was illegal
The National Labor Relations Board is back in business thanks to a federal court ruling.
Bipartisan bill would ensure that if workers unionize, they get a contract
Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley signed on to the bill, which was sponsored by Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Jury awards $208k to U.S. citizen farmworker after organic grower abuses H-2A visa program
The H-2A temporary agricultural visa program lets farms to hire foreign workers. But they first have to try to hire U.S. workers.
O’Reilly Auto Parts ordered to pay workers for deleted sick leave bank
2,327 workers lost their accumulated sick leave when O'Reilly changed payroll systems; now they'll be compensated.
Women’s soccer league settles sex abuse charges
NWSL’s $5 million player restitution fund addresses systemic abuse; new safeguards and reforms implemented.
Utah bans collective bargaining for public employees
HB 267 signed into law, ending collective bargaining for public employees in Utah and barring union staff from retirement program.
Outraged by a coworker’s firing, New Seasons workers strike
Randy Foster, a 19-year employee, was fired for helping a blind coworker. Was it retaliation for union activity?
Sizzle Pie fires union supporters
Despite the firings, workers at the 624 E. Burnside St. location voted 16-0 to unionize with Restaurant Workers United.
Underfunded and Overwhelmed: Oregon’s labor commissioner will make the case for a big budget boost
Christina Stephenson, Oregon’s top labor law enforcer, says years of underfunding have created a crisis for her agency.
City of Portland threatens legal action over union pickets
Attorneys for the City of Portland say "practice pickets" are prohibited by the contract Local 189 signed with the city.
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.
Laborers union to offer 12 weeks maternity leave
Starting Jan. 1, 2025, new mothers who are members of LiUNA will be eligible for up to $800 per week for 12 weeks.
Vigor pays to restore spray-painted vehicles
In not one but two overspray incidents, paint blown by the wind stuck to the vehicles of hundreds of shipyard workers.
NLRB and FTC work together to bar non-compete agreements
Non-competes are agreements saying workers won’t go to work for a competing employer in the same industry after they leave an employer.
BOLI at the breaking point
Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries says it’s time for lawmakers to put their money where their mouth is.
NLRB seeks court order against strip club owner
The owners of Magic Tavern are thumbing their noses at U.S. labor law. Strippers, and the NLRB, are not amused.
Illinois bans captive audience anti-union meetings
On July 31, Illinois became the eighth state to make it illegal for employers to punish workers for refusing to attend anti-union meetings.
Oregon Republican signs onto pro-union PRO Act
It’s the latest pro-union stance by swing district Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, but the PRO Act has little chance of passage.
