Workers Rights

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.

Anheuser-Busch could be delivered nonunion if Maletis Beverage succeeds in busting Teamsters

Owner Rob Maletis withdrew union recognition after a majority of employees signed a petition that they no longer wish to be represented. 

PSU Starbucks: Unionize on Friday, strike on Monday

The strike started because managers told a barista to clock off and go home after she showed up to work in a union T-shirt. 

Shilling for the antiunion Freedom Foundation? Tulsi, say it isn’t so!

On Oct. 14, Tulsi Gabbard will take the stage in Hillsboro at an event sponsored by the rabidly anti-union Freedom Foundation.

R&H Construction pays $193,000 to settle wage theft case

Strung along by their employer and then Oregon’s labor bureau, workers got paid in February for work they did in 2021.

Labor law violations on the rise nationally, NLRB says

Unfair labor practice charges jumped 16% year over year — continuing a significant caseload increase from the previous fiscal year. 

Starbucks coming under pressure

The union-busting coffee giant sees a strike wave, an adverse legal ruling, and its leader hauled before a Senate Committee.

Michigan repeals ‘right-to-work’ and restores prevailing wage

Democratic majorities voted to repeal a “right-to-work” law that GOP legislators passed in 2012, and restore the state prevailing wage law. 

360 Sheet Metal must pay $118,000 more for wage theft

The contractor stiffed its workers of $200,000 on multiple Southwest Washington public construction projects.

School custodians want hazard pay for hazard conditions

As skies dumped snow on Portland, administrators were warm in home offices, but night custodians battled blizzard conditions to get to work.

Arbitrator will decide Portland Police policy on body-worn cameras

The Portland police union says officers should get to see bodycam footage before writing reports, as they do at most other police bureaus.

Renamed PRO Act introduced in Congress

Democrats in Congress have signed onto the PRO Act, a bill to make it easier to unionize. Republicans have not.

Workers petition for a prayer room at the Portland airport

The Port of Portland is exploring the possibility of dedicating a temporary space for prayer at the airport in time for Ramadan.

New Seasons workers picket six Portland stores

New Seasons Labor Union says the company should bargain over recent policy changes at stores that have unionized.

Nabisco defies overtime law

Senate Bill 1513 was written specifically to target overtime abuse at Nabisco’s Portland plant, but the company hasn't changed its actions.

Fred Meyer: payroll problems are widespread

The payroll problems began to emerge in October 2022, just after the company implemented a new payroll system known as “MyTime.”

Local NLRB agent tells labor: Agency is in crisis

Democrats increased the NLRB budget 9% last year, after a 10-year freeze. Now the GOP’s back in charge of the House.