(PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Monday, Feb. 6 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.
1. Portland, city laborers reach tentative agreement to end strike
On Sunday, the city of Portland and city laborers announced that they’d tentatively agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement after 12 hours of mediation on Saturday. The agreement, which ended the worker strike, will remain tentative until it’s approved by Portland City Council.
“We look forward to reuniting with our colleagues and celebrating the ability to continue to serve this community, together,” the city and Laborers International Union of North America Local 483 said in a joint statement.
No details about the new contract had been released as of Sunday. City workers went on strike last week after no agreement was reached during negotiations with the city.
2. Man shot in broad daylight in SW Portland
A man was brought to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot on Sunday in southwest Portland. The incident occurred near Southwest 22nd Avenue and Southwest Morrison Street around 1 p.m. Portland police found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound at the scene.
Responding officers also discovered evidence of gunfire at the scene. Police did not release any suspect information.
3. Health officials working to ease barriers for transgender patients in Oregon
Oregonians seeking gender confirmation surgery must first undergo permanent hair removal on portions of their body, but the state doesn’t have enough electrologists to meet demand. The surgery is not cosmetic, it’s a medical requirement to avoid discomfort and potential post-surgery infection. Permanent hair removal can sometimes take a year of weekly appointments to cauterize individual follicles under the skin. Without regular sessions, hair will grow back.
Advocates for trans Oregonians say the shortage in licensed electrologists is due to outdated licensing requirements. State health officials say they want to ease the barriers for transgender patients by expanding access to electrology instruction and licensing. There are currently only 78 licensed electrologists in Oregon, and even fewer that treat transgender patients or accept Medicaid reimbursement.
Under the state’s current rules, there’s no pathway for people who want to learn the profession in Oregon. Oregonians who want to take up the practice must do so out of state and transfer their license.
The Oregon Health Authority is proposing an alternative to out-of-state schooling. One proposal would make it possible for trainees to learn under a licensed electrologist. It would also allow people trained out of state to take Oregon’s licensure exam rather than transfer a license from elsewhere.
More Portland News:
Comments / 0