Oregon
Oregon union pushes for lawmakers to pass worker safety bills
Oregon union leaders and workers said the state needs to put more safeguards in place to protect employees from harm when they work in dangerous jobs in corrections, behavioral health and others.
They are backing several bills they say would help. Senate Bill 24, for example, would set minimum staffing standards for health care workers in prisons and another proposal not yet introduced would limit mandatory overtime for Oregon Department of Human Services workers in group homes. And Senate Bill 606 would broaden workers compensation benefits to automatically cover post-traumatic stress-related conditions for Oregon State Hospital employees and DHS group home workers.
Those proposals are backed up by a survey released Monday by the Oregon American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. It found that two-thirds of more than 500 AFSCME workers who responded had experienced physical violence, threats or injury in their workplace and nearly half – 49% – do not feel safe at work all the time.
The survey, included in a broader report, shared the stories of workers on the job about their experiences in sectors like health care, law enforcement and behavioral health settings like the Oregon State Hospital.
As lawmakers press on with the 2025 session, the report sheds light on working conditions of employees, many of them who toil in isolation outside the public eye.
“No one should work alone when they’re in a dangerous situation,” Joe Baessler, executive director of Oregon AFSCME, said in a news event with workers and legislators.
Yet that happens, workers said.
Gillian Soderstrom, a former correctional officer at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution, experienced that circumstance during the 2020 wildfires, when inmates from another prison under threat were moved into her facility.
At one point, she was alone with 120 inmates in a unit with no cameras. Her radio battery died, leaving her with only a landline. For part of the ordeal, she relied on some inmates to keep her safe from others.
“The experience was so traumatic that I left the job at the Oregon Department of Corrections and I wasn’t the only one,” said Soderstrom, who returned to the agency for an executive support specialist job.
David Lynch, a registered nurse at Oregon State Hospital, the state’s psychiatric hospital, said conditions continue to be dangerous with patients who have high needs and difficulty in hiring staff to meet the demand.
Four years ago, Lynch said, a patient assaulted him. He needed several months off work to recover from a concussion.
“People who are overwhelmed cannot be vigilant,” Lynch said.
Lawmakers at the event stressed the need for action, which includes building upon past legislation. A task force started after House Bill 4002 passed in 2024, for example, made recommendations on how to keep behavioral health workers safer with written safety plans, safety planning and more training and safety assessments.
Lawmakers at the news conference said they support those recommendations.
Health care workers have experienced kicks, bites and beatings, said Rep. Travis Nelson, D-Portland and vice chair of the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care.
“This tells me there is a culture of fear and danger in too many facilities,” Nelson said.
Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem and chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, said the issues are interconnected. With reduced overtime and more staffing, conditions are safer.
“We need to ensure that the state has the ability to recruit and retain the kind of people like we have here who are working today,” Patterson said.
— Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Department of Human Services is asking for help finding a 2-year-old boy who is believed to be in danger.
Armani Andrews disappeared on June 17 and is thought to be with someone in the Portland area, officials said.
He’s about two feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes and African American/mixed race, ODHS said.
-
Armani Andrews (file, courtesy Oregon Department of Human Services). -
Armani Andrews (file, courtesy Oregon Department of Human Services).
Locations around Portland that the child may have frequented include the Rose Haven shelter on Northwest Glisan Street, the Multnomah County Central Library on Southwest 10th Avenue and Southeast Portland between 82nd and 103rd avenues.
People who have any information about Andrews’ whereabouts are asked to call 911.
Every year, there are always a few recruiting races that are anything but normal. Twists and turns should be expected on the recruiting trail, but you can still always count on a surprise or two.
The Oregon Ducks have already landed four commitments along the offensive line in the 2027 recruiting cycle, most recently scoring three-star Lex Mailangi. The Ducks are still pushing for one more, however, and it’s the biggest of them all.
Five-star offensive lineman Ismael Camara has taken several visits to Eugene, including one earlier in the spring. However, the Texas star canceled his tour of official visits to finish high school early and give Gilmer High School his best effort on the field in the fall.
Those plans changed quickly when he opted to take unofficial visits to SMU and Texas in June. After once appearing to push his recruitment to the fall and commit closer to early signing day, it’s clear that Camara is now open for business, and he could be moving quickly toward a decision.
When Camara left Eugene in the spring, the Ducks were perceived as a favorite in the race. However, after spending time away and connecting with programs in his home state of Texas, Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman believes Texas is now in the lead, and was told by one of Camara’s family members that a commitment could be coming soon.
While the Longhorns are in charge, SMU, LSU, Texas A&M and Oregon all still remain involved. While he has been able to tour the Texas programs this month, Camara has remained in touch with the Ducks over FaceTime.
“Just fantastic coaches and options all around,” Camara’s guardian, Todd Robison, told Rivals. “We are also in touch regularly with Tennessee, LSU, A&M, and Alabama. He also has had very well-attended FaceTime calls with the entire staff at Oregon. He feels the love for sure.”
The Ducks still appear to be in good standing with Camara, but the inability to get him on campus this month is a big setback. Even if Camara does commit over the summer, the Ducks will likely push hard to get him back to Eugene in the fall for another visit. Don’t expect Oregon to give up on this race until pen hits paper on signing day.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Editor’s note: In 2016, WW expanded its Cheap Eats guide to include a road trip. We identified nine diners, food trucks and one boat worth a pit stop when journeying through Oregon. Since then, a few things have changed: Two of our picks have closed, as noted below, and you don’t need to travel to Medford to find an In-N-Out Burger. But maybe you should!
This list first appeared in the March 23, 1016, edition of WW.
TAQUERIA GUERRERO
508 E 1ST ST., NEWBERG.
Half tienda, half taco spot, Guerrero serves its street tacos and huge mojado burrito ($8.95) with handmade tortillas that shame almost anything in Portland.
JOE’S DONUT SHOP
39230 PIONEER BLVD., SANDY.
This 40-year-old candy-striped dough den offers a ridiculously rich cronut—that’s a fried croissant—fast service, and always-fresh doughnuts. It’s arguably the best doughnut shop in the state.
THE DINER
2580 SE STRATUS AVE., MCMINNVILLE.
The Diner makes one of the state’s greatest sandwiches—a fried-chicken club in which each layer is seasoned and housemade, and the middle slice of bread is replaced by the satisfying crunch of fried chicken.
EASTWIND DRIVE IN
395 WANAPA ST., CASCADE LOCKS.
The Eastwind is where Cheryl Strayed first tasted civilization after ending her long, long walk. The soft-serve ice cream is good enough for you, too, motherfucker.
BOWPICKER FISH & CHIPS
1634 DUANE ST., ASTORIA.
At this 28-foot converted gillnet boat, there are always 12 old men waiting in line for beautifully fresh-caught, hand-battered albacore tuna served with a raft of fries. Join them.
LOCAL BOYZ HAWAIIAN CAFE
1425 NW MONROE AVE., CORVALLIS.
A sweet shoyu chicken plate lunch will fill you up until dinner tomorrow. But broke high-school kids will buy rice for $1.50 just so they can douse it in the magical ginger-garlic-shoyu sauce.
IN-N-OUT
1970 CRATER LAKE HIGHWAY, MEDFORD.
With an address that already sounds like a road trip, the magnificent double-double has punctured the state line. Even from as far away as Portland, it beckons.
NOW CLOSED:
FAT FREDDY’S
6320 PACIFIC AVE., PACIFIC CITY.
After a brief hiatus best forgotten, Pacific City’s beachfront home of towering burgers and equally towering Tillamook ice-cream milkshakes returned two years ago to the sound of hardening arteries.
CORNBREAD CAFE
1290 W 7TH AVE., EUGENE.
It’s arguably Eugene’s best restaurant, and it’s also a perfect fit for the town—a vegan version of an old-school diner, complete with barbecued seitan and outrageously good greens.
Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.
Support WW.
-
Finance5 minutes ago
Palestinian Authority pushes electronic payments to combat financial crisis, Israeli restrictions | The Jerusalem Post
-
Fitness8 minutes agoBusiness News: Stock and Share Market News, Economy and Finance News, Sensex, Nifty, Global Market, NSE, BSE Live IPO News – Moneycontrol.com
-
Movie Reviews20 minutes agoMovie Review: ‘Supergirl’ – Catholic Review
-
World28 minutes agoClockenflap’s Justin Sweeting and Woozi Studio’s Mia Min Yen on Asia’s Live Music Boom at Golden Melody Festival: ‘No Longer Is a Fan Just Buying a Ticket, But Investing in a Memory’
-
Lifestyle1 hour ago3 World Cup rivals find ‘Common Ground’ in a cross-border beer
-
Technology1 hour agoThe Flipper Zero creators’ Busy Bar productivity display will go on sale next month
-
World1 hour agoFamilies watch in horror as skydiving plane crashes in France, killing all 11 aboard
-
Politics1 hour agoDOJ launches grand jury probe into Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham’s funding of leftist groups
