Clackamas County Employees' Ass'n v. Clackamas County/Clackamas County District Attorney

# Clackamas County v. Clackamas County Employees' Association ## What Happened The county's District Attorney made statements to a union representative that the employees' association claimed were meant to discourage workers from exercising their rights to organize and engage in union activities. The union filed a complaint alleging retaliation and interference with protected labor activities. ## What the Court Decided The court sided with the employees' union. It reversed a lower board's decision to dismiss the case and sent it back for further review. The court found that the District Attorney's statements were threatening enough to discourage employees from participating in union activities, which violated Oregon's public employee labor rights law. ## Why This Matters for Workers This ruling protects public employees' right to organize and participate in unions without fear of intimidation from management. It establishes that employers cannot make threatening statements designed to scare workers away from union involvement. The decision reinforces that workers have legal protection when exercising their collective bargaining rights, even when threats are indirect.