Court of Appeals Upholds Union’s Right to Arbitration

TriMet, a public mass transit agency, refused to arbitrate a grievance filed by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, concerning a decision to enter into contracts with nonunion shuttlebus companies. TriMet receives federal grant funds which it passes on to nonprofit shuttlebus operators. When TriMet contracted with a non-union operator, the union claimed a violation […]

Judges who wed couples can’t refuse same-sex unions, ABA ethics opinion says

Judges who perform marriages may not refuse to perform marriages for same-sex couples, according to a recently released formal ethics opinion from the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Judges not only must follow the law but also must act impartially and free from bias or prejudice, the opinion says. Formal […]

Oregon LERA Discussion on Janus, August 14, 2018

Please register and pay online by visiting www.oregonlera.org (“Upcoming Events”) or you can pay at the door. Cost is $30 for LERA members and $45 for non-LERA members.  Annual membership dues are $40 for the year and will cover membership through the end of 2018 and the cost of this program.  If you have questions […]

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 […]