Workers Rights

GOP House strips union rights from staff

The anti-union language was included in the first bill to pass the newly Republican-led chamber during the 118th Congress.

PDX tells service contractors to increase PTO

More than 1,000 service workers at Portland International Airport will get a bump in their paid time off accrual this summer.

Sheet metal strike ends, employer court date nears

Sheet Metal Local 16 says the strike brought attention to the company’s anti-union conduct and led to more regulatory scrutiny on the employer.

Biden and Congress force a contract on rail workers

History may remember the episode as a betrayal by the man who pledged to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history.

Minimum wage rises in 23 states

Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage - which is all there is in 20 states - has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

Rideshare driver protections start Jan. 1 in Washington

They include minimum per-minute, per-mile and per-trip rates drivers must be paid; paid sick leave; workers compensation; and more.

NLRB: Unfair employers must pay more than just lost wages

Workers face financial pressure beyond lost wages when they're illegally fired. Now, the NLRB says employers should generally cover those costs.

Workers sue Fred Meyer for unpaid wages

Kroger is planning to buy competitor Albertsons for $24.6 billion. But the grocery monolith can’t seem to find the cash to pay its workers.

St. Charles Hospital in Bend hires union buster

The Florida union buster is just the latest for the Oregon hospital’s hard-core anti-union human resources team.

Oregon paid leave ready to launch

Starting next September, Oregon workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks off using paid, parental leave.

Nurse union asks district attorney to prosecute Providence for wage theft

Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt says he’s ready to prosecute employers who commit wage theft. Oregon Nurses Association has one in mind.

Catching up with Christina

Worker-side labor attorney Christina Stephenson, Oregon’s next labor commissioner, describes her priorities for the job when she takes office next month.

Nine Oregon Starbucks join nationwide strike

The strike involving more than 100 stores was timed for the day Starbucks launched its annual “red cup” holiday promotion.

Starbucks fires Portland union organizer

It’s illegal to retaliate against workers for union activity, but Starbucks has been firing union supporters around the country.

NLRB says Starbucks violated labor law in Eugene

The complaint lists the dates and store locations where violations occurred, and the names of managers who committed them.

AFSCME says Meieran threatened retaliation after non-endorsement

A Multnomah County Commissioner took it very badly when county workers union AFSCME Local 88 backed her opponent.

Contractors stuck with bill for subcontractor wage theft

Washington ordered a quarter million dollars in back pay and penalties for prevailing wage violations by 360 Sheet Metal.

Stephenson: Labor laws mean little without enforcement

Christina Stephenson says heightening BOLI’s wage theft enforcement will be a top priority if she’s elected as labor commissioner.

Judge: Starbucks illegally fired workers for union activity

Starbucks must reinstate seven workers the company fired in Tennessee after a federal judge found the terminations were illegal retaliation.

Nurses sue Providence for back wages

Oregon Nurses Association says a new payroll system at Providence hospitals has an unfortunate feature: It routinely underpays thousands of nurses.

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