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No School November? Portland Teachers Begin First-Ever Strike

All PPS schools are closed indefinitely, after teachers union and school district failed to come to an agreement in time to avoid a strike.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

It’s day one of the first-ever Portland Public Schools (PPS) teacher strike.  After spending the better part of a year in stalled contract negotiations with PPS management, the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) union gave the district a 10-day notice to strike on October 20. The union and district continued bargaining until October 31, but […]

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UPDATE: As Portland Public Schools and Teachers Union Stall on Negotiations, District Prepares for Unprecedented Strike

Despite offers of higher salaries, the school district and teachers union remain hundreds of millions of dollars apart in contract negotiations.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Update October 20, 10:50 am: Members of the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) voted to authorize a strike. According to PAT, out of the 93 percent of members who participated in the strike vote, 98.9 percent voted “yes.”  In a statement from Portland Public Schools (PPS) about the news of the strike vote, district leaders […]

Posted inTeachers Strike

As PPS Teachers Inch Closer to a Strike, Staff Across the District Ask for Better Treatment

Portland’s teachers union says educators are being priced out of the city, and class sizes are too big. Meanwhile, other public school employees are also struggling with their contract negotiations.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Third grade teacher Tiffany Koyama Lane lives close enough to work that she can commute to her job at Sunnyside Environmental School on a Razor scooter. Every morning on her way to school, Koyama Lane relishes riding alongside current and former students, who see her not just as an educator but also as a member […]

Posted inlabor

Organizing Portland: Local Labor Organizers See Surge in Union Solidarity, Diversity

Independent union membership is growing at Portland retail stores, restaurants, and even strip clubs. Longstanding unions are also receiving community support.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

For the last several months, union activity in Portland has appeared to surge, matching the national energy toward worker’s rights particularly demonstrated by the ongoing, high-profile Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. And Portland labor organizers say it’s not all hype: Union membership is growing across all industries, and it’s here to stay.  “In […]

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Low Pay and High Consequences: PSU Adjuncts Say Treatment of Part-Time Instructors Reveals Institutional Problems

Adjunct faculty at Portland State University, currently bargaining for higher wages, say they aren’t being fairly paid for their contribution to Portland’s largest university.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Adjunct instructors at Portland State University (PSU) say they play a critical role at the school, but aren’t being treated fairly by university management. PSU is Portland’s only public university and the second-largest college in the state, with a total enrollment of a little more than 22,000 students. In order to educate so many students, […]

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Unionized Burgerville Workers Say Company is Illegally Retaliating Against Organizers

Union says contract negotiations with management have stalled, noting a recent one-day strike saw temporary workers hired at higher wages than permanent staff
Avatar photo Abe Asher

Members of the Burgerville Workers Union say their relationship with the local fast food company has broken down amid a contract negotiation that has seen the union file a number of complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Burgerville workers became the first fast food workers in the nation to unionize more than five […]

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Powell’s Workers, Fed Up With “Poverty Wages,” Move Closer to a Strike

Employees at the world’s largest independent bookstore voted to authorize a future strike, citing stagnant wages that diminish the value they bring to the beloved stores.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Powell’s City of Books is among Portland’s most universally-loved attractions, but the workers who curate Powell’s recommendation shelves and assist hordes of bookworms everyday say they’re underpaid, making “poverty wages” at what is otherwise a dream job for many book lovers. After months of attempting to negotiate a new, fair contract with management, members of […]

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OHSU Nurses Prepare For Possible Labor Strike

Health care workers say hospitals have failed to address chronic staffing issues, leading to strikes not seen in decades.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

On the heels of a five-day strike by Providence nurses in June, 3,500 nurses at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) hospitals in Portland and Hillsboro could become the second group of nurses to strike this year. OHSU nurses, who are unionized with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), are working on an expired contract and […]

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CAT in Crisis: Financial Trouble Threatens Future of Portland’s Community Alliance of Tenants

The nearly three-decade old nonprofit plans to lay off most staffers until it secures more resources. Employees say the problem goes even deeper, alleging mismanagement and union-busting.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

In a time when many Oregonians are experiencing financial precarity and can barely afford to pay rent, a Portland-based tenant aid organization is on the brink of financial collapse.  The Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) has served as a tenant advocacy group for people across Oregon since its formation in 1996, offering resources like a […]

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City of Portland Worker Strike Ends with Contract Compromise

While workers won higher cost of living increases, fear of rising costs in Portland remains.
Avatar photo Isabella Garcia

Over 600 City of Portland maintenance and operations workers ended their three-day strike Sunday after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the city. Despite the city giving a final offer early last week, members of the worker’s bargaining team said they were able to secure higher cost of living increases and other contract benefits after […]

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Hundreds of Critical Portland Operations Workers on Strike After Mediation Fails

Wastewater and street maintenance workers are asking the city to keep wages competitive with the private sector.
Avatar photo Isabella Garcia

More than 600 city maintenance and operations workers are on strike Thursday after Portland officials declined to accept the workers’ proposed contract. While Portland leaders have alluded to a “contingency plan” to continue operations in the city, striking workers say that wastewater treatment, parks maintenance, and street clearing will be significantly affected as long as […]

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City of Portland Office Workers Move to Form an Independent Union

“When push comes to shove at budget time, we always take the hit first,” union organizers say.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

A group of city of Portland office workers have launched an independent union drive and are planning to file for a union election within the next two weeks as they seek improved job security, wages, and working conditions. The majority of the nearly 6,000 non-management city employees are already represented by a variety of unions. […]

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