Oregon AFSCME Council 75 v. Hood River County, 248 OrApp 293 (2012)

Holding:   The county committed an unfair labor practice when it refused to deduct from each paycheck a percentage, rather than a set amount.

1)   A Court construes statutes by examining “the text of the statute in context, along with any helpful legislative history provided by the parties and, if necessary, by applying relevant canons of statutory construction. citing State v. Gaines and PGE v. B.O.L.I. at p. 298.

2)  Where there is no statutory definition, Courts give terms their plain and ordinary meanings. at p. 298.

3)   Among the terms Webster’s uses to define amount is the word sum. at p. 299.

4)  Webster’s defines sum as, among other things, “an indefinite or specified amount of money.” at p. 299.

5)   Furthermore, the statute requires the county to deduct an “amount of money indicated” in a written request from the union. Webster’s defines the verb indicate as pointing “toward with more or less exactness.” This argues against amount being defined as a sum certain. at p. 299.

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