Labor Day Celebration at Oaks Park
On Monday, thousands of union members and their families will gather at Oaks Park in Southeast Portland for the Northwest Oregon Labor Council’s annual Labor Day picnic. The event has long been a showcase of the state’s labor movement, highlighting its enduring strength even as union membership continues to decline across much of the country.
The picnic also serves as a political stage. Ambitious candidates frequently attend, hoping to demonstrate their support for organized labor in a state where unions remain a powerful force.
Union Membership: Oregon vs. National Trends
According to federal data, nearly 300,000 Oregon workers—about 1 in 6 statewide—belong to a union. Membership rates have fluctuated since the 1980s, but unlike the national trend, Oregon’s numbers have inched upward over the past two decades.
Nationally, the story is very different. Since 1986, union membership has been cut nearly in half. Today, fewer than 1 in 10 U.S. workers are unionized. The comparison underscores Oregon’s unique place in the labor landscape, bolstered by a political climate that has historically leaned progressive and union-friendly.
A Major Legislative Victory
Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers approved a bill granting striking workers up to 10 weeks of unemployment benefits—a rare policy nationally. While only a handful of other states allow such payments, Oregon became the only state to extend benefits to both private- and public-sector workers on strike…