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

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But Senate Bill 519 could also face legakl hearings as to whether it limitasfree speech. Senate Bill 519 woulf essentially ban employers from punishing workers who refusde to participate in mandatory meetings related to religious orpoliticap matters. The bill exempts religious andpoliticalp organizations. The House approved the measure 34-23 Friday in a party-line vote. The Senatse had earlier passed it bya 16-1e4 count, with Democrats Ginny Burdick of Portlan and Betsy Johnson of Scappoose joininvg Republicans in opposing it. J.L. Wilson of the busines lobbying group said earlier this week that the group mighrt legally challengethe bill.
The group feels the measur infringeson employers’ free speech “We’ll probably file a lawsuit the day it’s enacted,” he “This bill could create a new protected classa based on whether an employee wants to attend a meetinhg or not.” Jillian Schoene, a spokeswoman for Kulongoski, said the governoe will sign the bill. House Republicanas wasted no time blastingthe measure. “One week aftefr passing permanent job-killing tax increases on the legislature is working to causse further harm to our economu by dictating the termes ofworkplace communications,” said Rep. Bruce Hanna, the House minority leader.
“Thanks to the Democrats’ big-money campaign Oregon will be the only statwe withthis broad, reckless, and unnecessary law.” The Oregob AFL-CIO praised the bill’s passage. Some employers hold mandatoryh meetings to rally against potential union according tothe 225,000-member group. “Oregon’ elected officials have proven, today that they stanr with the working people inour state,” said Tom Oregon’s AFL-CIO president. “Workers should be able to opt-outf of a meeting on personal topics without worryingbthat they’ll be disciplined or worse.
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