Posts tagged Oregon
Supreme Court ruled public sector workers cannot be forced to pay dues; unions take them anyway
October 28, 2023 // After the Janus ruling, Ms. Quezambra sought to invoke her rights to stop the involuntary union dues payments, demanding she be refunded going back to 2013. The union refused on the grounds that she had allowed the union to make the deductions. This was news to Ms. Quezambra. The union “presented Ms. Quezambra a membership and dues deduction authorization card containing a forged signature that she purportedly signed. Ms. Quezambra did not sign this card,” her complaint states.
Workers announce intention to unionize at The Bulletin, Redmond Spokesman
October 24, 2023 // Wright said, “Central Oregon Media Group has received a request from the PNW Newspaper Guild to voluntarily recognize members of our news staff at two our newspapers, the Bend Bulletin and the Redmond Spokesman. We are reviewing the request. Whatever the outcome, we stand by our employees.” The Central Oregon NewsGuild is represented by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, a sector of the Communications Workers of America and the largest union representing journalists and media workers in North America, according to the guild.
Oregon sees record-high unionization
October 9, 2023 // what’s happening here in Oregon is a little different: it’s driven by independent unions. Rather than join AFL-CIO, SEIU or other big unions, some Oregon workers are taking a “grow your own” approach to unionizing. Local chain Burgerville’s independent union, Burgerville Workers Union, won federal recognition in 2018 and signed its first contract in 2021. Seeing Burgerville’s success in organizing without the resources of a bigger union inspired workers at Voodoo Doughnut.
Walgreens pharmacy employees launch scattered walkout
October 9, 2023 // “The last few years have required an unprecedented effort from our team members, and we share their pride in this work — while recognizing it has been a very challenging time,” Walgreens said. A spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents more than 4,400 workers at Walgreens stores in markets around the country, could not be reached for comment on the walkouts. Last month, workers at three Walgreens stores in Northeast Ohio voted to form their own union, called Pharmacy Workers United, according to a report from Axios Cleveland.
Freedom Foundation bundles FIVE FORGERY cases into one appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court:
October 5, 2023 // Abernathy said. “First, there’s abundant case law showing that, in cases like this, the union is treated as a state actor and can be held accountable for its actions. And secondly, the Supreme Court had already ruled that dues can’t be deducted by either the state or the union without the employee’s consent. It doesn’t matter what state laws say. The U.S. Constitution takes precedence.” The Supreme Court has declined to consider several similar cases in recent years, Abernathy said, but the justices can only tolerate the lower courts’ errors for just so long. “Unless you enforce it, even a landmark ruling like Janus is just a piece of paper,” Abernathy concluded. “Unions and activist judges have been allowed to act as if Janus never happened since the day it was issued. At some point, the court has to demonstrate that it meant what it said and said what it meant.”
75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are on strike
October 4, 2023 // The multi-state strike comes during a time of elevated labor activity in the United States. Several large-scale strikes have paralyzed companies and entire industries in recent months. The United Auto Workers are on strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — the first time the union has struck all three simultaneously. The entertainment industry also contended with dual strikes this summer after Hollywood’s writers’ and actors’ unions went on strike at the same time for the first time since 1960. The leadership of the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios last month, but the actors’ guild strike is ongoing. The health care industry has been particularly affected by rising strike activity. From the start of 2022 through August of this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has tracked 42 work stoppages of 1,000 or more strikers. Its count shows a third of those strikes were in health care. That’s up from 24% of major strikes in 2019, the year before the pandemic. The increased number of health care strikes have happened despite health care workers making up only about 9% of private sector union members nationwide.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers plan to stage 3-day strike Wednesday
October 4, 2023 //
Kaiser Permanente union workers poised to strike after contract expires
October 2, 2023 // More than 75,000 workers at the largest nonprofit private health-care provider in the United States are poised to strike Wednesday after negotiations failed to reach an agreement over the weekend. The workers’ contract with Kaiser Permanente expired Saturday with disagreements still simmering over staffing levels, which unions have made a focus of their demands, along with better pay and benefits. The Coalition of Kaiser Unions on Monday accused Kaiser of negotiating in bad faith and committing unfair labor practices. Workers will strike Wednesday morning if Kaiser executives do not take “dramatic action now to solve the Kaiser short staffing crisis by investing in its workforce,” the coalition said in a statement to CNBC.
International Longshore and Warehouse US dockworkers union files for bankruptcy
October 2, 2023 // The union has been facing a looming trial on claims that it illegally slowed down operations over several years at the Port of Portland, then operated by an affiliate of Philippines-based maritime company, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) representing U.S. dockworkers has filed for a chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to resolve a pending litigation with the Oregon affiliate of the International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI).
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers threaten strike if labor agreement not reached
September 25, 2023 // The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions warned Kaiser that more than 75,000 workers will strike in early October if an agreement is not reached by the end of next week. The unions say understaffing has led to dangerous wait times for patients. Kaiser Permanente is the largest nonprofit health-care organization in the U.S. serving nearly 13 million patients. Kaiser has called the unions’ claims misleading and urged employees to resist a call for a strike.