Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2015)
PAGE 2 | April 17, 2015 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Minimum wage campaign fills Oregon Capitol hearing rooms NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor: Michael Gutwig Associate editor: Don McIntosh Office manager: Cheri Rice Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $13.75 per year for union members, $20 a year for all others. Send a check for that amount, indicating mailing address and union affilia- tion, to P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213. For 25 or more subscriptions, group rates of $9.60 a year per person are available to trade union organizations. Call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When or- dering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland IRS PROBLEMS? • Haven’t filed for ... years? • Lost records? • Liens - Levies - Garnishments? • Negotiate settlements. • Prepare offer in Compromise. Call Nancy D. Anderson Enrolled Agent NPTI Fellow/America’s Tax Expert LTC-1807 www.nancydanderson.com 503-244-2577 140 SALEM — Supporters and op- ponents of raising Oregon’s min- imum wage traded volley after volley of public testimony at a joint legislative committee hear- ing April 13. Over 100 people signed up to testify at the hear- ing, and it lasted more than three hours. The hearing was held jointly by the Oregon House Business and Labor Committee, chaired by State Rep. Paul Holvey (D- Eugene) and the Oregon Senate Workforce Committee, chaired by Sen. Michael Dembrow (D- Portland). The two committees are considering a total of 10 bills that would raise the minimum wage in varying amounts and as high as $15 an hour, or that would remove a state law bar- ring cities from passing their own higher minimum wages. “Oregonians can’t wait five or 10 years for the fair wage they deserve,” said House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), the first person to testify in favor. “Just raising it a dollar would not do enough.” After hearing from Kotek and fellow increase supporter State Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson (D- Portland), lawmakers took testi- mony from alternating panels of three or four supporters or oppo- nents, with each person given Supporters of the group 15 Now hold an impromptu rally in the Oregon Capitol rotunda April 13 before a joint House-Senate committe hearing on raising the minimum wage. two minutes to speak. Members of the public who came to the Capitol to watch or testify filled the hearing room as well as three overflow rooms, where they watched the hearing via video link. “I just want a wage that lets me live in dignity,” testified Ore- gon AFSCME Local 3214 mem- ber Linda Peterson, who works with developmentally disabled adults for a non-profit in Eugene. Panel after panel of small businesses lined up to testify against raising the minimum wage, while some other small businesses—members of the progressive Main Street Al- liance—spoke for it. Big busi- nesses appear to have sat out the hearing, which was held in the evening to allow regular mem- bers of the public to testify. Several restauranteurs warned of dire consequences, including higher prices, lower profit mar- gins, and servers who would be replaced with touch screen or- dering devices—if the minimum wage were raised. A rye grass grower said she’d bring in for- eign labor. An athletic club owner said he might lay off towel boys and use vending ma- chines to dispense towels. An Outback Steakhouse executive said the company would be un- able to open any new restaurants in Oregon if the minimum wage goes up. Among the stranger specta- cles was a panel of young Re- publicans, including a self-de- scribed “future politician” in a white bowtie and suspenders, and a clean-cut Salem Chamber of Commerce supporter who fretted that raising the minimum wage would cause members of the working class to have less motivation. But the testimony was more personal than theoretical for a trio of Oregon School Employ- ees Association (OSEA) mem- bers who talked about their daily struggles of living life in poverty —Corvallis School District “lunch lady” Deanna Lundgren, West Linn instructional assistant Cynthia Muñoz and South Eu- gene night custodian Windy Wiebke. “I can’t pay my bills with self- esteem,” Wiebke said. At Oregon’s current mini- mum wage of $9.25, a full-time year-round worker would gross just $19,000. The two committees sched- uled separate work sessions April 20 at which they could dis- cuss the bills further, and vote to recommend one or more of them.
