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Providence, Union Set to Re-Enter Negotiations Amid Historic Health Care Worker Strike

Roughly 4,000 Oregon health care workers are on strike. This time, the picket lines include physicians.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

The largest health care worker strike in Oregon history is continuing this week, with thousands of Providence nurses and a number of doctors taking to picket lines across the state.  Health care workers began their strike on Friday, January 10. They have two central points of contention with Providence: staffing levels and compensation. Providence, a […]

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PSU Lays Off 17 Academic Faculty Members As Union Talks of Potential Strike

Portland State University’s professors union says independent financial analysis shows stable cash reserves, raising questions about the necessity for layoffs.
Avatar photo Kevin Foster

Amid an $18 million budget deficit, Portland State University is laying off 17 non-tenure track faculty, citing “changes in programmatic and curricular needs.” The university issued layoff notices on Dec. 13. While the current layoff plans are less severe than the 94 notices sent to staff a few months ago, the faculty union, PSU-American Association […]

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UPDATED: Street Roots Staff Announce Intent to Unionize

Workers at Street Roots plan to join Communications Workers of America, adding to the growing ranks of local news outlets with union representation.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

UPDATED: December 10, 4:15 pm—  The Street Roots board has declined to voluntarily recognize the union. According to the Street Roots Workers Guild, the board notified the NLRB of the decision on December 9, citing their wish to reduce the bargaining unit by two members who they are ineligible for the union due to their […]

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Unionized New Seasons Workers to Strike on Wednesday Before Thanksgiving

The New Seasons Labor Union has been in contract negotiations with the company for almost two years. Workers want customers to boycott the company until an agreement is reached.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

New Seasons workers at 11 unionized stores in Portland and Beaverton plan to walk off the job on Wednesday, November 27, for a one-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. Union members say they scheduled the strike for the day before Thanksgiving—one of the busiest shopping days of the year—to exert their leverage amid lagging labor […]

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Portland State University Faculty Layoffs Spark Outrage

After faculty received notice of layoffs, PSU’s professor union protested at the university president’s office. Faculty allege administrative bloat and bad budgeting are fueling budget cuts.
Avatar photo Kevin Foster

Professors at Portland State University say the college is mishandling its budget, after PSU sent layoff notices to roughly 90 staffers Tuesday, October 15. More than 7 percent of the 1,200 unionized staff from the PSU American Association of University Professors (AAUP) received notice of forthcoming layoffs. In response, over 100 members of PSU AAUP […]

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Thousands of Fred Meyer Employees Go On Strike Through Labor Day Weekend

The Unfair Labor Practice strike, planned to continue until Sept. 3, comes amid FTC hearings over a merger between Albertsons and Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Nearly 5,000 employees at 28 Fred Meyer stores in and around Portland went on strike early Wednesday morning. The employees, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555, plan to continue the strike for almost a week. Unless a deal is reached with Fred Meyer management, the grocery store workers won’t return to […]

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KOIN TV Workers Allege Outrageous Union-Busting Tactics from Management

Even after a recent federal court order mandated KOIN owners to bargain with the union, they’ve refused to come to the table.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

KOIN-TV’s videographers, photographers, engineers, directors, and other production staff have always worked hard to get Portland’s news out to television screens across the city. But for the last several years, employees have had to put up with more than grueling overnight shifts and the typical ups and downs of the news industry.  Since massive media […]

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Providence Nurses Say They’ve Been Barred From Work By Management Following Strike

Meanwhile, the Oregon Health Authority is overwhelmed by staffing complaints from health care workers across the state
Avatar photo Abe Asher

Providence nurses across the state remain on the picket line today, claiming the hospital system is illegally locking them out of work following the conclusion of their three-day strike yesterday.  According to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), nurses striking at six hospitals across Oregon provided notice to Providence that they would return to work at […]

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As Portland’s White Collar Employees Return to Offices, Janitors Push For Fair Wages, Benefits

Janitors with SEIU work at high-profile businesses like Nike and Intel, but their work is often unsung. Amid labor contract negotiations, they’re rallying for living wages and benefits.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The roughly 1,300 Portland-area janitors unionized with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 49 work at some of Portland’s most prominent businesses, including Nike, Adidas, and Intel. They also clean at Oregon Health Science University and at landmark buildings in downtown Portland, as well as the Lloyd District.  In other words: They do the dirty […]

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Portland Japanese Garden Employees Announce Union

After employees revealed glaring pay disparity and racially insensitive behavior, they hope union representation will alleviate workplace concerns.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland Japanese Garden employees say they love the work they do, but they need to see change in the workplace in order to continue serving the community at one of Portland’s most beloved destinations.  On April 22, employees from the Japanese Garden’s cafe and gift shop announced their intent to unionize with Laborers’ International Union […]

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Portland Rideshare Drivers Call for Government Reform to Fix Unfair Working Conditions

Workers cite low pay, a lack of fare transparency, and differences in worker protections in Oregon and Washington. Advocates say the path to change is through government action.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Bob Nesbitt had a long career in sales. After retirement, he turned to the gig economy to earn some extra income. Nesbitt, now 75, has been driving nearly full-time for Uber and Lyft in the Portland-Vancouver area for about seven years.  Nesbitt said it’s been harder to rely on income from rideshare companies lately. His […]

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Employees at Portland Japanese Garden Report Pay Inequity and Racist Language from Management

Staff at the nonprofit say they’ve been retaliated against for speaking up about their concerns at work.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Note: Some names have been withheld from this story to protect sources from retribution. Instead, the Mercury is identifying them using letters to differentiate quotes. The Portland Japanese Garden, a lush and peaceful urban oasis located just outside downtown, is one of the city’s most prized natural and cultural attractions. But to many garden employees, […]

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