By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Oregon hotel occupancy is faring worse than the national average.  This means some are willing to take great risks by betting against the trends.   Here is one example of a business investor doing just that. A Portland developer has proposed a 95-room luxury hotel […]

By NFIB, The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization sent a letter of opposition to the U.S. House of Representatives opposing H.R. 8639, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. The legislation would lead to increased costs, burdensome mandates, and more red tape on small […]

Coalition of 43 AGs Reach $700 Million Nationwide Settlement with Johnson and Johnson over deceptive marketing; Oregon to receive $15 million By Oregon Attorney General, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and 42 other attorneys general announced they have reached a $700 million nationwide settlement to resolve allegations related to the marketing […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Workers at minimum-wage jobs in Oregon will begin earning 50 cents more per hour beginning July 1 when a state increase takes effect, pushing the Portland metro minimum wage to $15.95 per hour, the standard rate to $14.70, and the rural rate to $13.70 […]

By Joshua Waugh & Lex Shvartsmann Barran Leibman LLP Law June 18, 2024 — On June 13, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Starbucks Corporation v. McKinney, confirming the heightened standard the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) must meet to obtain a preliminary injunction against employers charged with unfair labor […]

By Portland Metro Chamber, Full Report charts: Portland Metro Chamber Board Chair Alando Simpson remarks given at the June 18, 2024 Annual Meeting, presenting by U.S. Bank. I am Alando Simpson, president of COR and board chair of the Portland Metro Chamber over the last year. Looking back on the […]

By U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined Senate colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to allow small cannabis businesses in Oregon and other states that have legalized cannabis sale and use to access Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. “SBA’s current […]

By Katie Amodei, Communications dir. for Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking Guest article written for Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association 6/3/2024– ​Child sex trafficking is a devastating crime that can go unnoticed in the hospitality industry. Traffickers take advantage of the privacy and anonymity provided in hotels to exploit vulnerable […]

By Oregon Business & Industry The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission is collecting applications for an anti-theft grant program established by OBI-backed legislation in 2023. The Organized Retail Theft Grant Program will distribute a total of $5 million to local law enforcement agencies, the Oregon State Police and community-based organizations to […]

By Missy Oakley & Lex Shvartsmann Barran Liebman LLP Oregon law firm Under some of Oregon’s employment laws, when workplace harassment occurs, employers who knew or had reason to know of the conduct may be held liable unless they can show they took “immediate and appropriate corrective action.” OAR 839-005-0010 […]