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
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.
Work at Kaiser? Better check your paycheck
After more than two years of problems as egregious as a $99,000 overpayment or zeroed out paid leave banks, OFNHP is speaking out.
Minimum wages rising in Washington and Oregon
Oregon’s minimum wage rose to $15.45 in the Portland metro area on July 1. Washington's will rise to $16.28 an hour on Jan. 1.
Washington Court tests new law in Freedom Foundation case
Washington Federation of State Employee advocated for the measure amid a multi-year legal battle against the anti-union Freedom Foundation.
City unions to Vancouver: self-insured workers comp isn’t working for workers
A group of 10 unions say the City of Vancouver's self-insured program has too often denied injured workers’ claims.
Lawful contractors only, says City of Vancouver
Contractors who bid on public projects with the City of Vancouver now must verify that their subcontractors are not labor law violators.
Starbucks refusing to bargain with union
Nearly two years after the first Starbucks store unionized, not one Starbucks location has a first union contract.
We’re number 38!
The British anti-poverty group Oxfam recently ranked 38 developed nations on worker well-being. The United States was at or near the bottom.
Crisis home workers ask Governor Kotek: Fire our boss
Workers have reported getting punched, scratched, and stabbed with pencils, and the staff vacancy rate this year hit an all-time high.
Abruzzo shows what it’s like to enforce a ‘pro-worker statute’
The NLRB hasn’t had this energetic of an enforcer in more than half a century. Jennifer Abruzzo is refocusing the agency on its founding goal.
The software that ate my paycheck
What’s behind the incredible string of payroll ‘errors’ at Fred Meyer, Providence, and the State of Oregon?
Nurses pursue class action after payroll foulup at Eastern Oregon hospitals
Try to claw back money from paychecks without our permission? We’ll see you in court, say members of Oregon Nurses Association.
At Portland airport, sitting for the right to sit
Airport contractor Bags Inc. orders wheelchair attendants to remain standing when not assisting passengers.
US Supreme Court ruling undermines the right to strike
The Supreme Court's Glacier Northwest decision lets some employers sue for damages in strikes where products spoil.
Fired AFSCME supporter wins $20,000 back pay
The National Labor Relations Board determined that camp operator All Good NW fired Michael Rainey illegally.
New Seasons improves conditions … for its nonunion workers
Workers say New Seasons Market has borrowed a tactic from the anti-union playbook: improving conditions at non-union locations.
Washington gives Uber drivers more workers rights
On May 15, Washington became the first state to extend unemployment insurance and paid family and medical leave to Uber and Lyft drivers.
