PORTLAND, Ore. — Workers across Portland gathered Saturday over the Labor Day weekend, demanding better working conditions, living wages and respect as union members, among other things.
Some employees of Powell's Books in downtown Portland picketed to bring awareness to a one-day strike that begins Monday.
“It’s really focused on just getting the company to come to the table and actually bargain with their employees, with their union in good faith,” said Michelle Carroll, an ILWU Local 5 member.
Across town, in Northeast Portland, New Seasons Market employees walked off the job and took up signs to express their frustration.
"We're out here today protesting against a union-busting tactic that New Seasons has sort of been leveraging," said Wil, a New Seasons Market employee. "They've used their very punitive attendance policy to pit union stores and non-union stores against each other."
The New Seasons Labor Union is an independent workers union, and so are many of the groups that marched in downtown Portland on Saturday.
“We’ve always had the larger unions representing us, but now working-class people are taking it into their own hands to form their own unions and take the power back in the workplace," said Samantha Medina with the Coalition of Independent Unions.
The Coalition of Independent Unions represents the Burgerville Workers Union, Donut Workers United, Restaurant Workers of Portland and Market of Choice Labor Union and organized a walk from Pioneer Square to Voodoo Doughnut. This rally focused on expressing solidarity with transgender workers.
“There’s only one way to get the bosses to listen and to care for us, their workers, to actually treat us like dignified human beings, and sometimes you have to get loud about it," Medina said.
While it's clear that Portland workers are asking for change, they also say this effort is part of a bigger movement nationwide.
“Labor’s a hot topic and I think it’s only going to continue to move forward," said Wil.
“I do think folks are taking workers' rights and workers' protections more seriously," Carroll said.
New Seasons Market responded to the rally in a statement, saying:
"We understand that some of our staff at New Seasons Market participated today in a peaceful demonstration, and we support, respect and uphold their right to participate in this protected activity. As we always have, we remain committed to fostering a workplace that prioritizes open dialogue and mutual understanding. We thank our customers for their patience, as well as for their support of the broader New Seasons Market community.”