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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2018)
pAge 2 | April 20, 2018 | northwest lAbor press NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $15 per year for union members, $23 a year for all others. Send a check for that amount, indicating mailing address and union affilia- tion, to P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213. For 25 or more subscriptions, group rates of $10.56 a year per person are available to trade union organizations. Call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When or- dering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 Low Prices! Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 140 PLEASE SHOW OUR ADVERTISERS YOU APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS LABOR MOVEMENT NEWSPAPER! whAt to do (And whAt not to do) if you’re injured on the job At work, you slipped and fell, hard. Or maybe you hurt your back lifting something. Or gave yourself a nasty gash and need stitches. You’re em- barrassed. Maybe it was your own mistake that caused the injury. Maybe it wasn’t, but your boss will think so. With workers’ compensation, none of that matters. If you were at work when the injury happened, you’re covered. It doesn’t matter if it was your fault, your employer’s fault, or nobody’s fault: State workers’ com- pensation insurance is a “no-fault” system that exists to help you when you’re injured or sickened on the job. It pays for all reasonable and necessary medical bills and related costs, and compensates you for some of your lost wages if your in- jury means you have to lose time at work. It can also help you get back to work with light duty if you need it, or even provide long-term bene- fits and retraining if the injuries are disabling. Lost time is not a vacation. In Ore- gon, the benefit amounts to two- thirds of your average weekly wage. In Washington, it ranges from 60 to 75 percent. But you need to file a claim. It’s your right to do so, and it’s against the law for your employer to retaliate against you in any way for getting hurt on the job or filing a workers’ comp claim. Here’s what to do: 1) notify your employer – even if you just got hired. Ide- ally the notification should be in writing – with as much detail as possible – and you should keep a copy. Even if you don’t think the in- jury requires medical attention, you should notify the employer, because it might get worse later on. 2) get first aid or medical at- tention. For the first visit, you can go to any emergency room or healthcare provider you choose, and tell them you were injured at work. Your employer is not allowed to choose what health care provider you see. In Oregon, the workers’ comp insurer can enroll you in a managed care organization for fol- low-up care. In Washington, follow- up visits have to be in the network. 3) file a claim, and follow up. Your employer should have the form. The medical provider you see definitely will, and can help you fill it out (except in Washington for large, self-insured employers like Safeway and Boeing, which have their own forms.) In Oregon, you need to file within 90 days; in Wash- ington, within a year. Respond promptly to any requests for infor- mation. 4) if any part of your claim is denied, get a lawyer. Most of the time, the system works, and you’re taken care of. But if part or all of your claim is denied, it can get adversarial. It can also be highly technical and complex. In Oregon you have nothing to lose by contact- ing a lawyer, because by law, they can’t charge for working on your workers’ comp case; they get paid only if you win, through a fee paid by the insurer or a share of the set- tlement. got Questions? help is AvAilAble. In Oregon, the office of the ombudsman for injured workers helps injured workers under- stand their rights and re- sponsibilities, and inves- tigates and resolves complaints they have with the workers’ comp system. Visit oregon.gov/dcbs/OIW or call 1-800-927-1271. In Washington, the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, em- ploys three full-time staff to provide you with free one-on-one counseling and individual claims as- sistance on your behalf. Visit project help at projecthelpwa.com or call 1-800-255-9752.
