House approves bill creating escalating penalties for public employers who delay union dues and rosters

The Oregon House on April 18 passed House Bill 29 44 A, establishing an escalating civil‑penalty framework for public employers that fail to submit dues, deductions or required employee rosters under the state's public‑employee collective bargaining law.

The bill, advanced from the Labor and Workforce Committee, sets a clear 30‑day deadline for remitting authorized employee deductions and tightens enforcement through the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB). Under the majority report adopted by the House, civil penalties may be assigned for repeat violations: a second repeat offense could draw a penalty in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 and a third or subsequent repeat offense could draw a penalty in the range of $5,000 to $10,000. The measure also requires the ERB to consider extenuating circumstances when setting penalties; the majority report does not make extenuating circumstances an automatic affirmative defense to penalties.

Why it matters: Supporters…