Idaho leaders urged to address systemic failures following prison abuse reports
InvestigateWest reporters uncovered years of sexual abuse by women’s prison guards prompting calls for independent investigation
Labor
Oregon labor bureau prioritizes wage claims of lower-paid workers, setting stage for big budget ask
Lawmakers and advocates express mixed reactions to the policy, which the state labor commissioner says is critical to reduce backlogs that leave workers without pay for months
‘Kept in limbo:’ As uncertainty over Trump plans looms, migrant children struggle to find legal aid in the Northwest
Few children who arrive at the border alone have access to help navigating the immigration system
Bird flu is racing through farms, but Northwest states are rarely testing workers
Farmworker advocates, health experts say more robust monitoring needed to prevent spread of illness
Farmworker advocates say new federal rules could save lives, but Idaho AG helped block them
As guest worker program grows, so do cases of exploitation, wage theft and retaliation
Oregon report spotlights state’s struggle to enforce worker protections
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries is requesting a significant budget increase to boost enforcement capability
No end in sight: Filipino fishermen still wait on abandonment case
One year after being allegedly stranded by their employer in a Westport, Wash., marina, six migrant workers still haven’t returned home to their families.
As teen employment rises in WA, so do youth labor violations
Between 2014 and 2022, complaints about working conditions for minors doubled — and one expert thinks this might be just the tip of the iceberg.
A tale of two workers: Heat deaths on the job provoke differing responses in Oregon, Idaho
One state adopted worker protections and saw deaths drop, while the other took no action
Filipino fishermen left in WA marina allege abandonment, lost pay
Fishing companies say long waits between seasons can be common, but labor experts say offshore foreign workers are “uniquely unprotected” under U.S. policies.
Bill enabling Oregon to crack down on child labor heads to Gov. Kotek’s desk
Republican critiques of increased penalties for child labor violations fails to slow momentum
Oregon House passes bill to fix law that forces state to refund child labor fines
State labor officials say bill would allow investigators to crack down on child labor violations
Oregon’s labor regulators ask for lawmakers’ help to tackle backlogs
The bottleneck of civil rights and wage claims has decreased, but workers still face long waits for service