PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The unionized workers at Powell’s Bookstores in Portland held a one-day strike as contract negotiations drag on. This Labor Day strike is among several labor movements across the region and the country flexing their collective bargaining muscles.
The strike at Powell’s by ILWU Local 5 is intended to send a message to store leaders to negotiate a new contract in good faith. Workers are seeking better wages and health insurance benefits.
Powell’s representatives said they are the union’s biggest supporter and that they value their employees’ right to strike.
But organizations representing workers feel like people are fed up.
“The economic inequality issues are still very grave in the most prosperous country in the world. I think folks know we are part of the solution, not part of the problem,” said Laurie Wimmer with the Northwest Oregon Labor Council.
Oregon’s 6th District US Rep. Andrea Salinas said people “just want a good quality of life and I think they’re struggling right now to see that. They want an even playing field.”
“It’s not surprising to see people say, ‘Wait, we’re helping to run this business, we’re helping to run this organization and we want a voice on the job,” said US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici.
It’s a contradicting time for labor unions.
“Labor unions are never more popular than they are now,” Wimmer said. “71% of voters overall and a shocking 88% of those under age 30 support labor unions.”
But at this time, only 10% of workers are in a union.
That is a low point in the last 40 years.
Bonamici said the process should be more fair. “There’s a lot of anti-union practices that happen.”
