Barran Liebman Oregon Law Firm The Ninth Circuit Sides with the NLRB, Class Action Waivers Are Unlawful By Kyle Abraham and Nicole Elgin On August 22, 2016, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that employers may not require employees to sign arbitration agreements that include class action […]

National Retail Federation News Release, The National Retail Federation today welcomed the release of draft online sales tax legislation by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., saying action is needed to break Congress’ years-long deadlock on the issue. “We hope this move will bring the attention needed to get […]

Oregon Prosperity Project, The Washington Post, citing research from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), recently addressed an important topic that should be part of the discussion when legislators debate several policy issues currently in the news.  Luxury goods are falling in price while many necessities become more expensive. While food […]

By Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 5.2 Percent in July, Job Growth Continues Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in July, an increase from June’s 4.8 percent. It’s risen from a record low of 4.5 percent in the three months of March, April and May. Oregon’s labor […]

Davis Dwight & Tremaine LLP Oregon business law firm By Rebecca L. Williams Pikachu, Alakazam, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle can teach us a few things about HIPAA privacy. Pokémon GO is a recent craze encouraging people to try to catch’em all. As a result, employees, clients, and patients are scrambling […]

By NFIB, Small businesses are weighing in on a big Oregon transportation project. The Oregon Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization is currently touring the state to gain insight into the transportation needs of Oregon residents and local businesses. Many small businesses and residents agree that Oregon’s transportation […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to return to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) its proposal to collect employee compensation and hours-worked data from employers. In comments filed, the Chamber argued that the EEOC’s proposal will […]

by Brad Houle, CFA Executive Vice President Ferguson Wellman,Portland The stock market was up for last week with the S&P 500 returning .20 percent.  During the week, the S&P 500 climbed to an all-time high on Thursday. Bonds were higher in price and lower in yield with the 10-year Treasury […]

Oregon Employment Department, Average Earnings for Young Workers Peaked 15 Years Ago  The average real monthly earnings of Oregon workers increased in the 1990s, was essentially flat from 2000 to 2014, and has been on the rise since. Recently, average earnings have been on the rise for all age groups, […]

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., filed an amicus brief with the Department of Labor (DOL) urging the agency to not weaken existing whistleblower protections in cases of retaliation against private-sector employees. Wyden, Grassley and Speier […]