With the support of the Freedom Foundation, a disgruntled bargaining unit member claimed that his union discriminated against him when it set limits on how he communicated with his steward and refused to file a grievance. ERB rejected the claim, noting that the Union’s requests that the employee document his concerns and limit his communications […]
Month: June 2022
Arbitrator Reinstates Two Laborers Summarily Fired for Single Safety Violation
The employer terminated two employees with no history of discipline for improperly opening up traffic when they believed the worksite had shut down, and after one of the employees had not received a bathroom break for over three hours. The Arbitrator found that although the employees engaged in misconduct, the employer did not have just […]
Local Initiative to Establish Tenant Resource Program Receives Ballot Title
Social justice advocates in Multnomah County sought to establish a Tenant Resource Program to provide free legal representation to any resident facing eviction, as well as other supports, funded through a small capital gains tax. Counsel assisted in writing the initiative. After it was filed, business groups challenged the ballot title for a variety of […]
Local Initiative to Divert Supportive Housing Service Funds Rejected as Unconstitutional
People for Portland, a dark money organization, proposed a local initiative to divert resources away from long term solutions to homelessness to a strategy prioritizing emergency shelters, sweeps, and criminalizing homelessness. The Metro Attorney rejected the initiative as violating procedural constitutional requirements and People for Portland appealed. Counsel submitted “friends of the court” arguments on […]