President Zippy Duvall American Farm Bureau Federation Farm Bureau members have come to Washington, D.C., to remind our elected representatives that trade is a lifeline for tens of thousands of family farms. “We need Congress to pass the USMCA trade agreement to bring certainty to our already-positive trade relationship with […]

Big News for Union Employers: NLRB Abandons “Clear and Unmistakable Waiver” Contract Standard By Kyle Abraham & Nicole Elgin Barran Liebman On September 10, 2019, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its decision in MV Transportation, a case that creates a big change for unionized private sector employers looking […]

By Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, Here are a few quick updates: HB 2005 – Paid Family and Medical Leave – Hard cap of 12 weeks paid leave + 4 weeks unpaid (if OFLA eligible) with 2 additional weeks for complicated medical pregnancy – Must be employed for 90-days before […]

Oregon Attorney General Press Release, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Oregon Governor Kate Brown joined four other states in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Public Charge Rule”. The lawsuit claims the Rule targets […]

Tim Duy University of Oregon Economic Indicators This is the University of Oregon State of Oregon Economic Indicators for July 2019. The Oregon Measure of Economic Activity rose to 0.41 in July although previous months were revised downward. Highlights of this month’s report include: – The University of Oregon Index […]

National Retail Federation, The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French after the Trump administration announced that current tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods will rise from 25 to 30 percent on October 1. New tariffs set to take effect […]

By Micah Perry Cascade Policy Institute, On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the Portland City Council passed yet another ordinance that will harm the housing market in the city. Landlords will now be required to register all their rental units with the city and pay a $60 yearly registration fee for […]

Oregon Legislature Updates Equal Pay Act; Additional Changes to Administrative Rules Appear Likely By Benjamin P. O’Glasser Bullard Law, NW Law Firm Oregon has passed a new bill, Senate Bill 123, making several changes to the Oregon Equal Pay Act (OEPA) that will aid employers’—and particularly employers with unionized workforces—compliance […]

By Josh Lehner, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Many of the business discussions surrounding beer tend to focus on the number of breweries opening or closing. We use that as a barometer for the health of the sector, including our previous look at industry dynamism. Counting breweries is pretty easy, […]

Portland Business Alliance, This year, I had the honor and opportunity to serve as chair of the Portland Business Alliance, the greater Portland region’s largest and most diverse chamber of commerce. Over the last 11 months, we examined key issues, including what’s top of mind for those who champion for […]