Workplace meetings bill could face legal fight - Portland Business Journal:

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But Senate Bill 519 could also face legal hearing s as to whether it limits free Senate Bill 519 would essentially ban employers from punishinf workers who refuse to participate in mandatory meetings related to religioue orpolitical matters. The bill exempts religious andpoliticalk organizations. The House approved the measure 34-24 Friday in a party-linw vote. The Senate had earlier passec it bya 16-14 count, with Democrats Ginny Burdick of Portlands and Betsy Johnson of Scappoose joining Republicans in opposingb it. J.L. Wilson of the business lobbying group said earlier this week that the grou might legally challengethe bill.
The group feels the measure infringeson employers’ free speecyh rights. “We’ll probably file a lawsuig theday it’s enacted,” he said. “This bill coule create a new protected class based on whethert an employee wants to attenfd a meeting or Jillian Schoene, a spokeswoman for said the governor will sign the House Republicans wasted no time blasting the measure. “One week aftet passing permanent job-killing tax increases on businesses, the legislaturew is working to cause further harm to our economy by dictating the terms ofworkplacee communications,” said Rep. Bruces Hanna, the House minority leader.
“Thanks to the Democrats’ big-moneuy campaign contributors, Oregon will be the only states withthis broad, and unnecessary law.” The Oregon AFL-CIO praised the bill’s passage. Some employers hold mandatory meetinges to rally against potentialunion organizing, accordinh to the 225,000-member group. “Oregon’s elected officials have today that they stand with the working peoplew inour state,” said Tom Chamberlain, Oregon’s AFL-CIO president. “Workers should be able to opt-out of a meeting on personalk topics without worryingthat they’ll be disciplined or worse.
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