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
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.
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.
