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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2005)
DECEMBER 16. 2005 JUStjOUt 13 northwest Powell’s Books offer domestic partner Sam Adams Drafts Equal Benefits Ordinance ship benefits to their employees. One glitch in the proposal, which is still in draft form, is that some health insurance providers, such as locally based Health Net, do not offer domestic Would bring city contractors in line with equal protection rules partner benefits packages to companies by Sarah Dougher with fewer than 25 employees. In addition, it is not clear if the city Sam Adams, pictured here at a Basic Rights Oregon fund-raiser, wants to make city contractors accountable to civil rights laws. jj| oilowing the lead of progressive communities benefits between employees with domestic partners provision will cover only same-sex domestic part such as San Francisco, Minneapolis and King and employees with spouses results in unequal pay for ners or if benefits must be extended to heterosexual struction field, where it can sometimes be hard to County, Wash., the city of Portland has before equal work. It would follow that because Portland unmarried domestic partners. come out. “One of the positives that can come from an it a draft of an Equal Benefits Ordinance. The prohibits discrimination based on marital status and The Oregonian editorial board wrote Dec. 13 that ordinance like this is that companies that think they idea is supported by Mayor Tom Potter as sexual orientation that the city would take up contract Adams’ proposal is “heavy-handed, coercive and don’t have any GLBT employees find out that they do. ing practices that would reflect this value. counteqiroductive.” The Oregonian, somewhat opti It can be an educational experience for employers.” well as Commissioners Randy Leonard, Dan Saltzman and Erik Sten. The city extended health benefits to unmarried mistically, assumes business owners would offer On Adams’ interactive blog, senior policy director If adopted, this ordinance would require certain domestic partners of its employees 11 years ago. Seven health benefits to their employees’ same-sex partners Jesse Beason says: “Our intent is to create a level of city contractors to provide benefits to their employees years ago, the state and local governments were also if they could afford to do so. In addition, it suggests accountability that our contractors are indeed following with domestic partners equivalent to those provided to required to offer spousal benefits to same-sex partners that adding equal benefits is the national trend and through on city policies. We re committed to making of their employees. If adopted, the city that businesses are doing it to attract a younger work this accountability as easy, and as flexible, as possible.” of Portland would join 13 other juris force and to market their companies effectively to The ordinance has incited a lively debate on the their employees with spouses. In drafting this dictions that require equal benefits queer consumers. These suggestions conclude that the blog, with detractors and supporters in relatively ordinance, the City provisions for domestic partners in city is playing too large a role in social engineering respectful dialogue on the role of city in implementing Council has found their contracting agreements with and that the market forces should play themselves out civil rights policy. that employee ben businesses that offer spousal benefits. as they will, because the trend is toward a version of efits routinely com According to the Human Rights prise between 30 Campaign, the nation’s leading lobby Roey Thorpe, Basic Rights Oregon executive direc think it will create a larger market for domestic part 40 organization for queer rights, approx tor, said: “1 believe that the Equal Benefits Ordinance nership insurance in Portland, and it is the most percent of employ imately half of Fortune 500 businesses encourages companies to offer equal benefits to ee and more than 7,500 employers domestic partners. It would reward companies that impact we are able to have at the moment,” notes Beason. © nationwide offer domestic partnership have already taken that positive step forward.” percent and compensation and that discrimi nation in the provi sion of employee Adams' senior policy director, Jesse Beason, had a large part in researching and penning the Equal Benefits Ordinance. equality anyway. “We were waiting for the Legislature to act |on Senate Bill KMX)I before making the draft public. We benefits. Local employers such as Thorpe also notes that many of the industries that Nike, Providence Health Systems arid would be affected by the ordinance are in the con- To take part in the debate, visit S um A dams ’ Web site at www.commissionersam.com . 2 H v -W ay O rnaments by G lass E ye S tudio G et 1 Does Bob really want a new fondue pot? Does Aunt Gail need another reindeer sweater1? F ree ! M am wit » Mc uni $1. H fiens ' A sh I K f Offfs Gooo 725/05-12/31 AS WMU MWWK LAST Save your money. 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