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
Oregon Supreme Court hears TriMet case
The public transit agency wants to keep union negotiations closed to the public.
Fair Work Week: Oregon will be the first state to curb schedule abuses
A new law will give retail, hospitality and food service workers predictable schedules — and extra pay when schedules change at the last minute.
Former Trump nominee Andy Puzder to speak at anti-union fundraiser in Portland
Puzder dropped out as nominee for labor secretary, and lost his job as CEO.
‘Right to work’ coming to the public sector
A Supreme Court ruling that ‘fair share’ fees are unconstitutional is likely 6 to 13 months away.
An end to overtime? U.S. House passes a bill letting employers offer ‘comp’ time instead of paying overtime
The bill would erode the 40-hour work week by making it cheaper for employers to require long hours.
Operating Engineers Local 701 picket at Gresham Wastewater Treatment Plant
A new complaint says a contractor, Veolia North America, broke federal labor law.
Oregon judge in bakery lawsuit rules against double overtime
The lawsuit against Portland Specialty Baking will still go forward.
Unions facing fierce attack in GOP-led state legislatures
Iowa strips public worker collective bargaining rights, but right-to-work fails in New Hampshire.
Another state goes ‘right-to-work’ – Missouri
Missouri follows close on the heels of Kentucky, and a right-to-work bill in Congress would bar any requirement to pay union dues nationwide.
Instafab hires union-buster Bob Tiernan
Tiernan, former chair of the Oregon Republican Party, is a labor relations consultant who helped rid a Berkeley grocery of its union.
Anti-union ‘right-to-work’ laws spreading quickly
Kentucky on Jan. 7 became the 27th "right to work" state. Missouri will be next, and maybe even New Hampshire.
Burgerville suspends union activist for eating a bagel
A vocal leader of the campaign to unionize the Burgerville fast food chain has been suspended without pay since Jan. 6 — ostensibly for...
Toothless law: 3 years in, still no penalty for flagrant unionbuster
The three-year legal saga of a local union-busting paint contractor shows how weak U.S. labor law can be.
Long day AND long week? For Oregon factory workers, double the pay
180,000 Oregon factory workers can now earn time-and-a-half twice.
Instafab settles charges, offers backpay and reinstatement to strikers
The strike by a minority of Instafab workers is now in its 22nd month.
Portland City Council passes fair scheduling resolution
The non-binding resolution encourages all Portland employers to review their scheduling practices.
Seattle gets ready to pass fair scheduling law
Will Portland be next?
Union-busting bakery accused of wage theft in class-action lawsuit
Portland Specialty Bakery, which makes baked goods for Starbucks, is accused of wage and hour and sick leave violations.
Oregon Democrat Kurt Schrader takes aim at Obama’s overtime rule
A bill sponsored by Schrader won praise from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and criticism from the Labor Secretary.
Union wins reinstatement for Lane County IT worker fired for medical marijuana
Thanks to his union, IT worker Michael Hirsch was reinstated with back pay