Recent strikes put Portland at the forefront of a national wave of labor action

A wave of labor action is sweeping across the nation, unlike anything in recent history, and many of the cases have been in the Pacific Northwest — from the first Portland teachers strike last fall to Oregon's first major doctors strike and then from the largest healthcare strike in state history that began last month. Two guests joined "Straight Talk" this week to break down what's fueling the resurgence in organized labor and what it means for employers, workers and the economy at large. Eric Fruits is a senior scholar at the International Center for Law and Economics and an adjust professor of economics at Portland State University. He's also the president and chief economist of Economics International Corporation, a consulting firm that specializes in economics and finance. His areas of expertise include consumer protection, financial regulation and corporate governance. Dr. Marc Rodriguez is a professor of history at PSU who received his PhD in American History from Northwestern University, as well as a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He's an expert in social and protest movements, and a contributor to the academic journal "Labor: Studies in Working Class History."