NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
2019 in review
As chronicled in the Northwest Labor Press, here are some of the
year’s most important developments for labor and working people.
Worker action ends shutdown
When 2019 began, 800,000 fed-
eral workers were either fur-
loughed or working without
pay—because President Donald
Trump was refusing to sign any
spending bills unless Congress
included funding for a Mexican
border wall. After some air traf-
fic controllers stopped showing
up, delaying flights throughout
the East Coast, Trump backed
down and signed, ending the
shutdown Jan. 28.
TOP ORGANIZING WINS
OHSU 830 doctors in training and 250
graduate researchers (OFNHP)
Providence Portland 838 hospital
support workers (SEIU)
Veterans Care Center in Lebanon
213 caregivers (Steelworkers)
Unity Center for Behavioral
Health 202 RNs (ONA)
St. Charles Hospital in Bend 163
medical techs (OFNHP)
The strike wave that started in
West Virginia in 2018 continued
in 2019 with a major strike in
LA, and a May 8 statewide
walkout by 20,000 Oregon
teachers over school funding.
Oregon lawmakers responded,
passing $1 billion a year in taxes
on the biggest corporations to
improve K-12 funding.
But they also greatly angered
public sector union members
with a cut of up to 2.5% in public
employee compensation, with
those funds redirected to shore
up public pension finances.
Washington lawmakers mean-
while passed progressive tax re-
form, a first-in-the-nation long-
term-care social insurance
program, and a mandate to cre-
ate good union jobs transitioning
to 100% clean energy by 2045.
Lawmakers deliver
Landmark grocery contract
Teacher strikes reach Oregon
Oregon lawmakers passed legis-
lation ending “no-cause” evic-
tion, capping Oregon rent in-
creases at 7% plus inflation, and
setting up a paid family and med-
ical leave program starting 2023.
After campaigning for gender
pay equity at Fred Meyer, UFCW
won wage increases of up to
$2.70 an hour, plus a guarantee of
20 hours a week with benefits for
20,000 grocery workers.
Raymond Thomas
James Coon
Cynthia Newton
Chris Frost
Sydney Montanaro
Scott Sell
If your employer
forces you to work
in dangerous work
conditions you
can make a
CONFIDENTIAL
report to OSHA
by calling
(800) 922-2689.
820 SW Second Ave., Suite 200,
Portland, OR 97204
Chris Thomas
www.tcnf.legal
January 3, 2020 | PAGE 3