Fair Dismissal Appeals Board Orders Reinstatement of Teacher

A school district  terminated a teacher who had been arrested for being under the influence and possession of a narcotic.   That arrest was prominently displayed in the local paper.    That teacher had excellent evaluations and there had never been any issues at work related to her substance abuse.   While the teacher successfully participated in a […]

Arbitrator Orders Reinstatement of Speech Language Pathologist

In this case, an Educational Service District terminated a well-respected speech language pathologist with no history of discipline for “theft of services.”   The dispute arose because the educator often worked away from her assigned work space, which is extremely noisy and distracting.  As a professional who had historically travelled from work site to work site, […]

Ninth Circuit Rules on Uber Ordinance in Seattle

On May 11, 2018, in the case of Chamber of Commerce v. Seattle, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed whether the Seattle ordinance that created collective bargaining rights for Uber/Lyft drivers is preempted by federal antitrust law or the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The Ninth Circuit found that NLRA preemption did not prevent […]

Oregon LERA Presents on The 2017 Equal Pay Act, June 5th

Understanding, Implementing, & Monitoring The 2017 Equal Pay Act June 5 in Portland and by video conference in Springfield View panelists, agenda and register today by clicking here. Please join Oregon LERA for a timely program on the 2017 amendments to the Oregon Equal Pay Act to go into effect January 1, 2019. The panel will […]

Greg Hartman Honored by Oregon State Fire Fighters Council

Greg Hartman was honored by the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council for his commitment to the cause and over 35 years of service representing PERS members in their fight to preserve pension benefits before the legislature and the courts in Oregon.

Jurors Award Damages for Whistleblower Retaliation

A 12-person jury in Multnomah County found in favor of a Bennett Hartman client on a claim of whistleblower retaliation. Attorney Talia Stoessel filed the lawsuit on behalf of the worker. She tried the case to a jury with Attorney Richard Myers. After five days of testimony, the jury determined that the worker’s report of […]

In Memoriam – Robert A. Bennett

We are sad to report that our dear friend, mentor, and law partner, Bob Bennett, passed away on Feb. 19, 2018. Bob was born Aug. 29, 1931 in Heppner, Oregon. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oregon in 1954, and then served two years with the U.S. Army Armored […]

Five Ways Unions Are Helping You Right Now… Even If You’re Not a Member

A workers’ rights case before the Supreme Court this week could have a dramatic impact on all of our lives. Janus v. AFSCME is a case that is designed to dramatically reduce dues and starve unions that are representing workers at the bargaining table. The Janus case is being pushed by some big corporations and CEOs as […]

Statement by AFL-CIO President on the Trump Administration’s SCOTUS Brief

Trump Administration SCOTUS Brief Threatens Working People’s Livelihoods While President Trump boasts his support for working families, his administration is advocating a position in the United States Supreme Court that disregards decades of settled law and threatens our livelihoods. Yet again, his actions are failing his rhetoric and making clear that he has no intention […]