Story by Pete Shaw More than 50 activists visited the offices of Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden to demand the men vote against giving President Obama the Fast Track Authority he likely needs to gain passage of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). A so-called free trade agreement (FTA) between 12 countries in the…
Tag: labor
Movement to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 Keeps Growing; Activists Demand Change to State Law
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Story by Pete Shaw “I’m here, and I’m tired, and I’m speaking out with all the strength that I have. We need 15 now.” Those words, spoken by Janice Niag, a First Student bus driver, demanding changes to the City’s Fair Wage Policy summed up the feeling at SEIU Local 49 Hall on October 20.…
The Fight for $15 Finally Comes to Portland
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By Shamus Cooke Like the Occupy movement before it, the “fight for $15” came to Portland as a transplant. Portland activists watched events in Seattle with a skeptical eye, but Seattle’s “fantasy” of $15 was transformed into an emerging reality, now replete with the support of the Mayor and City Council who are working on a plan to…
Portland Trade Union Nixes City Proposal; Holding Out for Deal That Works
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw The members of the unions making up Portland’s District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) have soundly rejected the contract tentatively agreed to between the City of Portland and the DCTU bargaining team. In doing so, they have sent a message to both the City as well as the leaders…
Looming Worker Strikes Spell Need for Strengthening Solidarity Across Community
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw When workers are fighting for their rights and dignity–and they are always fighting for those–the three most important words are solidarity, solidarity, and solidarity. With the possibility of at least three major strikes hitting Portland in the next few months, speakers at a recent Strikes on the Horizon forum…
Hungry for Fair Pay, Fast Food Workers Push Back on Starvation Wage
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Story and photo by Pete Shaw Demanding a pay hike for fast-food workers to $15 an hour, Portland activists rallied outside the McDonald’s on SW 6th and Main on December 5 as part of a national day of action. Portland was one of a hundred cities in the country that saw people demanding an increased…
Government Workers Face Erasure by For-Profit Companies
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Story by Pete Shaw Photos by Farrell Richartz The first item on the agenda as City Council went into session on Wednesday October 30th was a remembrance of Nohad Toulan, the founder of Portland State University’s School of Urban Studies and Planning, and his wife, who died on Monday. During the memorial, Councilman Nick Fish…
Protesters Drive Home Unfair General Motors Practices at Local Dealership
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Story and photo by Pete Shaw After two years of attempts to receive compensation for injured General Motors workers, protesters are bringing the fight to GM dealerships, the real points of profit for GM. On Saturday November 2, a group of 15 activists gathered at Wentworth Chevrolet on SE Grand Avenue as part of the…
Fast Food Workers Forcing Fight Over Fair Wages
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Story and photo by Pete Shaw “If food is essential for survival, then why are the people who bring it to us paid so little?” That question was recently asked at a forum regarding the many fast food worker strikes across the country over the past year. Those workers, many of whom make the federal…
Protesters Occupy Postal Management Offices; Demand End To Privatization
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By Jamie Partridge Eleven protesters invaded the office space of Portland’s senior US Postal Service management on September 18. Slipping past security barriers on the third floor of the Main Post Office, the group occupied the hallway outside the offices of Brenda Jackson, transportation manager for the Portland district. Demanding a meeting with Jackson, the…
