Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2011)
Middle class under threat Report examines the economic pressures Oregonians face Oregon’s middle class is fraying, with well-paying jobs in short supply and the cost of raising a family dramat- ically increasing. That’s the assessment of a major report released Aug. 30 by the Oregon Center for Public Policy, a non-partisan research institute, and Demos, a New York City-based re- search and advocacy institute. “The American Dream is vanishing before our eyes,” said Demos Distin- guished Senior Fellow Bob Herbert. “Sadly, Oregonians who work hard and play by the rules can no longer expect to provide a decent life for their fami- lies.” The recession upped the pressure on Oregon’s middle class, but the stress had been building over several decades, according to the report, titled The Fray- ing of Oregon’s Middle Class. The report details the decline of manufacturing, historically a mainstay of well-paying jobs. Oregon manufac- turing jobs declined from about 23 per- cent of all jobs in 1979-1980 to about 13 percent in 2009-2010. Meantime, the wages of the typical Oregon worker have barely budged, with median annual earnings in 2009- 10 coming in at only $477 more than the level in 1993-94. And as a group, only those with a post-secondary de- gree have experienced any wage gains. Younger workers — workers aged 25 to 34 — have fared worse, the report notes, with wages since 1980 having declined for all young workers except those with a college degree or more. While wages have stagnated or de- clined, the same cannot be said of ex- penses associated with raising a family. “Even with two parents in the labor force, Oregon families struggle to meet the high costs of housing and child care, let alone save for a rainy day or invest in the future,” the report says. Another cost pressuring the middle class is student debt. Three out of five college graduates who entered the workforce in 2009 carried a student debt, and that debt averaged $22,417, according to the report. “This report is a wake-up call for Join AFL-CIO’s ‘I Heart a Worker’ Labor Day action Starting Aug. 29, you can show a little love for the American worker who, be- tween the economy, jobs crisis and attacks on work- ers’ rights, has had a real rough year. So this Labor Day, the AFL-CIO is urging every- one to “HEART a Worker” via Facebook and/or Twitter and let the public know how important hardwork- ing women and men are in our daily lives. The national AFL- CIO has launched a La- bor Day splash page at www.aflcio.org/iheart, where you can share a message that answers the question: “Who do you HEART this Labor Day?” The labor federation offered some suggestions such as: “I HEART Cooks,” “I HEART Firefight- ers” or, if you’re in the north country, “I HEART Snowplow Drivers.” You Oregon lawmakers to rebuild the mid- dle class, the backbone of the state’s economy,” said OCPP Executive Di- rector Chuck Sheketoff. “The middle class did not arise out of thin air, but was built by the efforts of organized la- bor to ensure that workers shared in the state’s prosperity and by public policies that invested in the state and its people.” Sheketoff called on Oregon law- makers to make sure that all of the state’s spending on economic develop- ment is tied to the creation of well-pay- ing jobs. He also said that the lawmakers must stop “eroding opportunity” for the middle class by following a “cuts-only” approach to balancing the budget. “It’s essential for the state to raise more revenue,” he said. “The goals should not only be to avoid more budget cuts, but also to increase invest- ments in key public structures such as education and health and human serv- ices that nurture the middle class.” Both Sheketoff and Herbert under- scored the importance of a reinvigo- rated organized labor movement to re- building the middle class. “Lawmakers must remove the barri- ers to organizing that unions face,” Her- bert said. “Organized labor must grow if the American Dream is to endure.” To read the entire report, go online to www.ocpp.org. Demos is a non-partisan public pol- icy research and advocacy organization that works with policymakers around the country in pursuit of a more equi- table economy. The Oregon Center for Public Pol- icy is a non-partisan research institute that does in-depth research and analysis on budget, tax and economic issues. also can customize the type of worker you HEART. After you select the worker you HEART, you can share the message on Facebook and via Twitter with one or two quick clicks. As we approach the 10th anniver- sary of 9/11, the” I HEART a Worker” action also is another way to honor the many first responders and the thou- sands who worked so hard in the days and months after the tragedy to care for the injured and do the laborious work needed to restore the Pentagon and World Trade Center sites. Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 Members, Officers & Staff Wish All Workers in Oregon and Washington a Safe and Happy Labor Day Officers Staff LEN PHILLIPS, Business Manager/FST DELBERT BROWN, Business Representative JOHN CANDIOTO, Business Representative WILLY MYERS, Business Representative DENNIS DOVER, Business Representative JOE HARRIS, Business Development MIKE WALDO, Dispatcher SHARON ALLEN, Office Manager ROBERTA LUNDQUIST, Secretary RIC OLANDER, President JOE WELTER, Vice-President ART HIMM, Recording Secretary WILLIAM CARR, Conductor RON HERGENRADER, Warden Executive Board Trustees Darrell Alcorn Terrance Hills Joel Hutchinson Charlie Johnson Seth Kerner David McBride Steve Nunamaker Carrie Barber Dan Carroll Jim Philley 2379 NE 178th Avenue, Suite 16, Portland, Oregon 97230 • 503-254-0123 • Fax: 503-254-0157 www.smw16.org PAGE 6 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS SEPTEMBER 2, 2011
