SEIU members have asked for better labor management systems and to address the frequent harassment of workers by anti-union organizations. HB 2016, The Public Employee Protection Act, is one of the solutions members have put forward to address these concerns.

Today, the Oregon House passed HB 2016. It now moves to the Senate.

What it means to you

• Codifies established, recognized best practices that already exist in some form in many public sector workplaces. This would create consistency and equity throughout public employee collective bargaining agreements.
• Ensures that employers cannot use their leverage to intimidate an employee and dissuade them from being part of their union
• Prevents harassment and intimidation from groups like the Freedom Foundation from using public resources such as email servers to harass workers, and protects private personal information such as home addresses and contact information.

Statement from President Steve Demarest

“With the passage of the Oregon Public Worker Protection Act, the Oregon House of Representatives has reaffirmed our state’s commitment to protecting the rights of all public servants to work in union. Teachers, nurses, Child Welfare workers, and all public employees should be able to work in an environment where they are free to choose to belong to their union and free from harassment by outside, far-right interests.”

The big picture

In the wake of the Janus V. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court decision, it is clear that we need to do everything we can in Oregon to preserve existing labor protections. Public employees need to have access to union representation, and HB 2016 will do just that.