All events at Portland Hilton canceled until further notice.

Well, not exactly. But for progressive Oregonians used to attending many, many events at the Portland Hilton (as one of the few large-size unionized venues in the city), events will be shutting down.

The hotel's unionized workers - part of UNITE HERE Local 9 - are engaged in a labor dispute with the Hilton. From the Oregon AFL-CIO newsletter:

It is never easy to engage in a struggle with one’s employer, and it’s especially difficult for low-wage workers who do not have a financial safety net. The Portland Hilton workers joined together in UNITE HERE Local 9 and have been working very hard to have their basic rights respected.

The latest progressive organization to cancel an event at the Hilton is the ACLU of Oregon - who recently moved their foundation's annual banquet to another venue.

Again, the AFL-CIO newsletter:

[T]he Oregon AFL-CIO is pleased to hear from UNITE HERE Local 9 that the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has respected the hotel workers' boycott and cancelled a their previously planned 2008 ACLU Foundation of Oregon Dinner, incurring substantial fees from the Hilton -- not to mention taking on the inconvenience of finding a new venue.

“The decision of an organization as respected as the American Civil Liberties Union to honor their boycott is an enormous boost to these workers, as it validates that they are right in standing up for themselves and their families,” wrote Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain in a letter to the ACLU of Oregon.

Discuss.