Archives

March 3, 2022 - Wyden: Time to tap strategic petroleum reserve

By US Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, In an effort to combat a sharp rise in oil prices amid Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today urged President Biden to stabilize gas prices and help working families by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). […]


March 2, 2022 - Legislature repeals mandatory overtime for bakers

By Oregon Small Business Association, The Oregon Senate voted to ban last-minute mandatory overtime for bakery and tortilla plant workers in a 24-2 bipartisan vote anda 36 to 21 party-line vote in the House. Senate Bill 1513 affects 294 employers in Oregon and their 5,629 workers, many of whom say […]


February 28, 2022 - Careful on employee discipline over complaining about work online

Be Careful When Disciplining Employees for Complaining About Work on Social Media! By Natalie Pattison Barran Law Private sector employers take note: an employee’s social media post complaining about work may be entitled to protections under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). This is true regardless of whether the private […]


February 24, 2022 - Reinstate the Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act

By NFIB, The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, issued the following statement on behalf of Courtney Titus Brooks, Senior Manager of Federal Government Relations, in response to the introduction of the Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act in the U.S. Senate: “The […]


February 24, 2022 - What does “Endemic COVID” mean for employers?

February 22, 2022 By Heather J. Van Meter Bullard Law The easing of COVID restrictions around the country amid discussion of “living with COVID” will require employers to be more vigilant in many ways while simultaneously attempting to return to normal or a new normal. Some employers need workers back […]


February 23, 2022 - Portland Business Alliance releases annual economic report

By Portland Business Alliance, Portland Business Alliance releases its annual State of the Economy report This annual update on the state of our region’s economy, led by the Alliance in partnership with ECONorthwest and presented by Bank of America, marks yet again an unprecedented moment. For more information, please contact: […]


February 22, 2022 - Big affordable housing distortions, trends

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office Economic Analysis, Demand for housing is very strong. Vacancy rates are falling, home sales are rising, and while new construction activity is increasing some, in the big picture it is relatively steady here in Oregon. The lack of a sustained supply response in housing in […]


February 21, 2022 - Portland close to breaking gas price record

By Oregon Taxpayers Association Foundation Anyone pumping a vehicle with gas knows the prices have soared—hitting a 10-year record—and they’re much higher on the West Coast than anywhere else in the nation. In Portland, where the price of a gallon of gas hit $3.98, motorists soon may see the city’s […]


February 18, 2022 - NFIB fights harmful independent contractor rule

By NFIB NFIB filed an amicus brief at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the case The Atlanta Opera, Inc. In this extremely consequential case, the NLRB will reconsider its current standard for determining independent contractor status of workers and weigh whether to return to a more-stringent Obama-era standard. […]


February 17, 2022 - Charges over protester trying to open door mid-flight

By Oregon US Attorney Office, News Release Portland Man Charged After Attempting to Open Emergency Exit on Portland-Bound Flight PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man is facing federal charges after attempting to open an emergency exit on a commercial airline flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland. Michael Brandon Demarre, 32, […]