AP-OR–3rd NewsMinute,286
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The University of Oregon says Occupy Eugene
demonstrators have agreed to move off university property by
tomorrow night. A representative of the group said it will move to
Washington-Jefferson Park over the weekend. The Register Guard
reports the protesters have previously camped on the downtown Park
Blocks and then at Alton Baker Park.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) – Royal Caribbean plans to hire 180
people this fall at its call center in Springfield. By the end of
this month, the center will have nearly 600 employees. The cruise
line says it’s ramping up for the “wave season” – the
January-through-March period when most cruises are booked.
Entry-level call center jobs start at $10 an hour.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – A federal jury has awarded $201,000 to
former Coos Bay finance director Janell Howard. Jurors decided
Wednesday her free speech rights were violated three years ago when
she was fired in retaliation for reporting what she considered to
be unethical conduct by an auditor. The Register Guard reports
Howard is now administrative services director for the city of
Brookings. She says she feels vindicated by the verdict.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Lowe’s has agreed to pay $45,000 to an
Army National Guard soldier to settle allegations he was improperly
fired from a distribution center at Albany after returning from the
Iraq War. Government lawyers represented Matthew King and won the
settlement filed in federal court in Portland. The hardware store
chain hired King in 2008. He was deployed to Iraq and returned in
2010. After being honorably discharged he sought, but didn’t
receive, unemployment benefits. Then, he returned to work at
Lowe’s. The company fired him after it learned he had applied for
unemployment.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-11-04-11 1046EDT
