News

As some of you know, last year I was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. I was very scared and was not sure what would happen.

Oregon AFSCME members aren’t afraid to make their voices heard. Last month, AFSCME members like you from across the state, stood up and spoke out for themselves and each other. 

PORTLAND, OR - Postdoctoral researchers represented by Oregon AFSCME at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have announced an impasse following OHSU’s failure to produc

It’s easy to say that the 2020 election is the most important of our lifetimes, but hearing this firsthand from AFSCME Retirees, many of whom have dedicated their lives to public service and making America a better place to live, shows the urgency to us all.

This last year we went through a comprehensive planning process with members and staff to develop our 3-year strategic plan. We started off with a survey of all Council members and from there the committee worked to draft the plan that was just adopted by the board last month. This plan lays out our direction and goals for the next 3 years to build an even more powerful and inclusive union. 

The Northwest Labor Press is an independent, union-supported newspaper. The print edition is mailed out twice a month to over 50,000 members of more than 80 unions in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The online edition has been maintained here at nwlaborpress.org since 1997.

There are few other publications like it. Founded in 1900 by a consortium of trade unions, it’s one of America’s oldest labor movement newspapers.

Our focus is on the Portland metro area, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest, but we also report on national and global issues.

If there’s one thing the 2020 election has in spades, it’s choices – and not just the choices between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, and choices up and down the ballot. In a year when our jobs, our families, and every aspect of our lives have felt the impact of a pandemic, there are lots of ways to make your voice heard at the polls. 

There are countless reasons against voting for Donald Trump in November. But this election isn’t just about Donald Trump. AFSCME President Lee Saunders explains why working people should cast their ballots for Joe Biden for president and Kamala Harris for vice president:

Nursing homes have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 40% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been linked to nursing homes. But according to a recent study, one factor that determines how fatal a COVID-19 outbreak will be is whether that nursing home is unionized.

Throughout my son’s long career at AFSCME, there have been countless times when I’ve seen Lee proudly wearing an AFSCME T-shirt. Often, these T-shirts feature slogans like “Rise Up” and “Never Quit.”

To Lee, these are much more than just slogans. They’re principles that guide him as president of AFSCME. As his mom, the meaning behind these phrases evoke a long and powerful legacy within our family.

Public approval of labor unions is at its highest level in 17 years, with nearly two out of three Americans (65%) expressing support of unions, according to the latest Gallup poll.