The Oregon Labor Dispatch: February 19, 2026
- Oregon AFL-CIO
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Curated news stories, graphics, and information for Oregon’s workers.
SUPPORT WORKERS
Immigrant Oregonians, our families, and communities have been targeted by violent, lawless ICE sweeps resulting in community-wide fear and devastating family separations. No family should have to plan for parents being torn from their children. We only have four more weeks to pass these critical bills. Tell your rep. to support the package NOW.
The legislature cut $129 million from eviction prevention in the 2025-2027 budget. Legal defense for tenants, crisis hotlines, tenant education, and emergency rent assistance were all slashed. Restoring $10 Million Would Make a Major Difference.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb. 19 from 6am-8pm at Kaiser Westside Medical Center
In solidarity with thousands of workers that are currently on strike with UNAC/UHCP and USW, and in an effort to push Kaiser back to the national negotiating table with the the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, Kaiser Westside Medical Center workers in Hillsboro are holding an informational picket today.
TONIGHT: Free Film Screening - Salt of the Earth
Feb. 19 at 6pm at the Oregon AFL-CIO Building
The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists for Black History Month A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: Salt of the Earth.
Based on true events, Salt of the Earth follows Mexican-American workers at New Mexico's Empire Zinc mine as they protest the unsafe work conditions and unequal wages.
Solidarity Social: A Union-led Gathering, Jam, and Open Mic
Last Tuesdays from 7-9:30pm
Join the Musicians Union, Local 99 on every last Tuesday evening of each month in 2026; starting February 24th!
Bring your originals for the open-mic portion of the night! Bring an instrument to jam just like always! Or, simply drop by and enjoy a space full of artists in a time where radical art is sorely needed. Last Tuesdays, starting February 24th, 7-9:30pmMusicians Union, Local 99: 325 NE 20th Ave
FREE
MUST READ
Feb. 18, 2026 | Black Press USA
America’s unions mourn the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering moral force whose lifelong commitment to justice reshaped both the labor and civil rights movements and left a lasting mark on the nation.
Feb. 18, 2026 | AFL-CIO
–New data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows union representation grew by 463,000 in 2025, bringing the total number of workers represented by union contracts to 16.5 million.Â
OREGON LABOR NEWS
February 19, 2026 | OPB
New Seasons Market laid off several dozen employees this week, attributing the cuts to rising costs following a new labor agreement. The layoffs affected 95 employees, the Portland-based grocery chain confirmed Tuesday.
February 18, 2026 | OPB
Healthcare workers and union members picketed outside Kaiser Permanente’s Sunnyside facility Monday morning, demanding the company return to negotiations for a national contract.
February 16, 2026 | Willamette Week
On Monday, the union said its bargaining team and OHSU had established a tentative deal. If union members ratify it in a vote, the union will be the final in a recent wave of new AFSCME unions at OHSU to secure a first contract.
FEDERAL ATTACKS
February 19, 2026 | NPR
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — now dubbed the SAVE America Act — narrowly passed the U.S. House last week, with all Republicans and one Democrat backing the bill.
ATTACKS ON IMMIGRANTS
Feb. 18, 2026 | Reuters
A federal judge on Wednesday threw out an administrative board's decision that endorsed the Trump administration's policy of placing thousands of people arrested during its immigration crackdown in mandatory detention without a chance to be released on bond.
THE LABOR MOVEMENT
February 16, 2026 | In These Times
From tear gas attacks to violent abductions, we are collectively witnessing the mass-scale abuse of children. Young people are fighting back.
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