In 2022, the Oregon state legislature passed HB 4002 which mandates overtime pay for farmworkers. In this policy brief, LERC Research Associate Mary Follo assesses the primary research cited by Oregon growers in opposition to the legislation. She finds a number of methodological problems with this research that cast doubt on their conclusions….
Essential Yet Invisible explores how COVID-19 has intensified the risks and complexities of one of Oregon’s fastest growing occupations, homecare work. Workers are often left to independently adjust care routines and adopt additional health and safety measures. These heightened challenges disproportionately impact women—especially women of color….
This report covers the union and nonunion homecare industry and workforce in Oregon, with a particular focus on nonunion private agency homecare work….
This study by the Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute highlights the positive effects of Oregon’s Prevailing Wage Rate law. The research shows that the law does not raise construction project costs, but it does enhance bid competition, increase the number of contracts awarded to local firms, and improve both wages and access to health insurance for workers…
Why do so few American workers have unions? Unions are one of the key strategies for improving American workers’ standard of living and decreasing inequality. Across the country, if you compare two people who work in the same occupation and same industry, with the same education and experience, but one has a union and the…
In 2017, Oregon passed the first statewide legislation (SB 828) to regulate unpredictable scheduling practices in retail, food service, and hospitality. This study reveals persistent scheduling instability among these workers, as employers continue to make last-minute changes and circumvent predictability pay requirements….
The Care Revolution tells the inspiring story of the first wave of organizing by Oregon’s home care workers. Grounded in extensive interviews with workers, the film explains how union representation has transformed the lives of caregivers and improved the quality of care for the people they serve….
Nearly one in six of the nation’s workforce is employed in a job with hours that fluctuate from week to week and incomes that vary paycheck to paycheck. People are confronting tremendous uncertainty about the size of their paycheck, and lack the ability to plan their lives, including childcare, further schooling, medical care and other essential life activities. In this report, we call attention to these issues and offer policy solutions to mitigate the impacts of irregular scheduling….
Many Oregonians are working hard but not getting ahead, and families across Oregon are struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, the country’s largest corporations are reporting record profits. In the “High Cost of Low Wages,” we share new research about Oregon ‘s low-wage workers and document the impact their low-wage jobs have on their lives….
This paper explores the growing recognition of workplace bullying and mobbing in the U.S. and Canada, highlighting the challenges of translating consensus into effective policies that balance the interests of employees, employers, and unions. It offers guidance for advocates and arbitrators by reviewing definitions, impacts, policy language, and arbitration cases, with a primary focus on U.S. examples and limited Canadian applicability due to structural differences….