Catherwood LibraryILR School

The state of Oregon has seen record levels of union organization in the past year, following the general trend in the United States of increases in labor union activity. A major difference between union activity in Oregon and the United States is that many of the workers who are unionizing in Oregon are choosing to form independent unions. Other employees looking to organize in America are seeking representation from established and well-known unions. Workers decided to create independent unions largely due to the lack of unionization in certain industries, such as the fast food industry. Many large established unions aren’t interested in representing employees in this sector because of high employee turnover. Independent unions are becoming increasingly popular at small workplaces, such as Voodoo Doughnuts and Doe Donuts, which formed the Doughnut Workers United, and Burgerville, which formed the Burgerville Workers Union.