The Oregon Labor Dispatch: january 15, 2026
SUPPORT WORKERS
These 135 vital healthcare workers are fighting for a contract that prioritizes the wellbeing of providers and patients. Support Here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MONDAY: Day Without an Immigrant/Día Sin Un Inmigrante
Jan. 19
Rally at the Oregon State Capitol at 11am!
AG Rayfield Federal Oversight & Accountability Town Hall
Jan. 21 at Revolution Hal
Join AG Dan Rayfield & 4 visiting AGs for a town hall on the anniversary of the first lawsuit challenging the president’s illegal actions. State AGs are on the front lines of holding this administration accountable – from tariffs to birthright citizenship to gender-affirming care. And they’ll keep fighting for us in 2026
Save the dates: CBTU Black History Month
February
Save the date for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists' series of events next month. "The Working Class: The Sleeping Giant Awakens" will be a multi-event series throughout February, with events planned on Feb. 5, 12, 19, and 26.
Tell Oregon Legislators: Don’t Cut Critical Services to Pay for Tax Breaks for the Ultra-Wealthy
Show up to an upcoming Oregon legislator Town Hall near you to urge lawmakers to prioritize protecting everyday Oregonians and the services we rely on, not padding the profits of the rich.
Fight for Our Future Rally
February 5
Join us on Thursday, Feb 5th, from Noon to 2 pm at Oregon State Capitol State Park to urge lawmakers to prioritize protecting everyday Oregonians and the services we rely on, not padding the profits of the rich.
MUST READ
47 Ways Trump Has ‘Made Life Less Affordable’ in Second Term
Jan. 13, 2026 | Common Dreams
From “stripping collective bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal workers” to “denying 2 million in-home healthcare workers minimum wage and overtime pay,” President Donald Trump “has actively made life less affordable for working people.”
OREGON LABOR NEWS
Portland Councilor Smith accused of firing staff in retaliation for union drive
Jan. 13, 2026 | OPB
The month-old union representing Portland City Hall staff has filed its first labor complaint against city management. In an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed Tuesday, the union accused City Councilor Loretta Smith of firing an employee in retaliation for labor organizing.
Student workers at Portland State form a union
Jan. 14, 2026 | NW Labor Press
More than 1,400 student workers at Portland State University (PSU) are on track to become union members.
Oregon Legislature faces revenue crunch as unions prepare to rally at the Capitol
Jan. 14, 2026 | NW Labor Press
Unions, and especially public employee unions, will be in Salem to push for both of those revenue solutions, starting with a mass rally outside the capitol at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
FEDERAL ATTACKS
Lori Chavez-DeRemer reportedly under investigation for misusing funds
Jan. 14, 2026 | Statesman Journal
U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former congresswoman from Oregon, is being investigated by her department’s inspector general for using her position to travel using taxpayer funds to have an inappropriate relationship with a person who works for her.
As enhanced ACA subsidies lapse, millions poised to drop health insurance
Jan. 13, 2026 | CNBC
About 22.8 million Americans have so far signed up for 2026 health insurance via the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to data issued Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
ATTACKS ON IMMIGRANTS
Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to Minneapolis protests
Jan. 15, 2026 | NBC
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to rising tensions between protesters and federal personnel in Minneapolis.
THE LABOR MOVEMENT
Union leaders accuse Trump labor department of echoing Nazi rhetoric
Jan. 14, 2026 | The Guardian
Union leaders have accused the Trump administration of a “rhetorical shift towards white supremacy” after social media posts by the US Department of Labor drew comparison with a Nazi slogan. Recent posts from the agency include a video captioned “remember who you are, American”, with the phrase: “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.”SUPPORT WORKERS
These 135 vital healthcare workers are fighting for a contract that prioritizes the wellbeing of providers and patients. Support Here.