Employee Prevails on Appeal That Union Contract Can’t Excuse Wage Violations

Schuck Law prevailed at the Oregon Court of Appeals, securing a decision that union contracts can’t override Oregon’s minimum wage laws. The Court ruled that employers cannot use collective bargaining agreements to justify unpaid wages or unlawful deductions.

Schuck Law’s attorneys prevailed at the Oregon Court of Appeals to establish that employers can’t hide behind union contracts to excuse their non-payment of wages.  Here, the employer failed to pay minimum wages on payday, and unlawfully deducted wages from the employee.  The employer then tried to rely on a union agreement to avoid claims for unpaid minimum wages and unlawful deductions.  While a union contract can change some wage requirements, the Court of Appeals agreed with Schuck Law and held that a union contract cannot change or avoid Oregon’s minimum wage law requirements.

DECISION(S):
Krohn v. Hood River School District, 250 Or App 8 (2012).

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