The Oregon Labor Dispatch: Aug. 6, 2026
Support Workers
Tell Hillsboro Medical Center and OHSU to Keep Critical Services Open!
Hillsboro Medical Center (HMC) executives will eliminate the Geriatric Psychiatric and Emergency Observation units no sooner than August 7, 2026. This decision will have harmful impacts on our community and eliminate 28 registered nurses, 9 advanced practice providers, and numerous other crucial positions. There's still time to save these services. Sign the petition to save the units and stop the cuts to critical services in our community!
Family Access Network School Supply Drive
Central Oregon Labor Chapter would like to invite you to participate in the the annual Family Access Network School Supply Drive! Local donations can be dropped off at the main office of Bend Senior High School or directly to the Deschutes Children’s Foundation building (2125 NE Daggett Lane in Bend) from 9:00am-2:00pm. View the wishlist here.
The final day for drop offs is Friday, August 28th.
Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
Extreme heat has engulfed the nation, with cities coast to coast breaking all-time heat records this summer. But while workers continue to face dangerous and potentially deadly working conditions, anti-worker leaders in Congress are quietly attempting to stop any heat safety protection laws from being passed, now or in the future.
Tell Congress to protect workers from heat—and not block heat safety protections. Dial 844-937-2517 or fill out the form on this page to make a call.
UNION JOBS
Apply by Aug. 21 to be OSEA's new Metro Field Rep. This position has a salary range starting at $77,976 per year, health benefits, 401(k), dental insurance, and an employer-assigned automobile.
Upcoming Events
Rally to Support Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Workers
Aug. 6 at 6pm at 4005 23rd Street, Baker City, OR
IBEW Local 125 workers at OTEC are planning rally to demand a fair contract at the upcoming board meetings.
Rally to Demand Fairness and Justice at Legacy Meridian Park
August 12, 2026, 5:30pm at Legacy Meridian Park
Legacy Meridian Park Techs have been working for months to win a fair contract that recognizes the critical care they provide every day. Despite our commitment to reaching an agreement, Legacy continues to delay progress and has failed to offer the improvements workers deserve.
2026 PNW Labor Leader Workforce Development Conference
The Oregon Labor Federation, AFL-CIO and Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO invite you to attend the 2026 Pacific Northwest Labor Leader Workforce Development Conference: Bridging Borders, Building Careers: A Pacific Northwest Union Workforce Agenda on August 13th in Portland, Oregon.
This year’s conference is an opportunity to learn about labor-centered workforce initiatives in other regions, build workforce development partnerships across unions and develop strategies to empower workers in a rapidly changing economy. Register today.
Must Read
Over 100 women's college basketball players join groundbreaking unionization effort: 'We want one voice'
Aug. 1, 2026 | CBS Sports
Members of the Oregon State women's basketball team filed a petition for union representation with the Oregon Employment Relations Board on Friday, which would give them the power to negotiate with the university, the United College Athletes Association announced in a press release. This is the first official unionization effort in women's college sports.
Governor Kotek "Looks Like" Ad
Aug. 4, 2026 | Tina for Oregon
View Governor Kotek's ad, which highlights her record of standing up to Trump and fighting for Oregon values.
Oregon Labor News
OHSU Fined Over $1.5 Million for Oregon Staffing Law Violations, More Than Any Other Hospital
Aug. 5, 2026 | Willamette Week
Oregon’s hospital staffing law requires hospital management to abide by staffing plans produced jointly with workers. The law gets enforced when workers—say, a nurse or a respiratory therapist—tell the state that their employer didn’t make or follow the plan. Since fines went into effect last year, complaints have flooded in.
Union slams Dark Horse bid to shrink bargaining unit
July 31, 2026 | Courthouse News Service
Two months after Dark Horse Comics recognized its newly formed union, Dark Horse Workers United says the publisher is trying to shrink that bargaining unit by reclassifying its senior editors as management.
Oregon attorney general again sues the Trump administration over tariffs
Aug. 3, 2026 | OPB
Oregon is leading a coalition of 25 states in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump over his administration’s latest round of widespread tariffs that have infused uncertainty into global supply chains.
Federal NEWS
TPS for Haitians officially ends, putting thousands out of work and in limbo
Aug. 5, 2026 | The Washington Post
A federal judge on Wednesday took the final step in allowing the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status for 350,000 Haitians, meaning many are likely to lose their jobs and be at risk of deportation back to a country the United States says remains dangerous.
Millions say they would join a labor union if they could
Aug. 3, 2026 | Kiowa County Press
As corporate profits keep Wall Street indexes near record highs, real wages for workers in Colorado and across the nation are currently stuck. Some 50 million Americans said they would join a union if they could, according to a new report, but face significant barriers under current U.S. labor laws.