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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2015)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | December 18 , 2015 | PAGE 5 $15 ballot measure passes 15,000 Organizers say they’re aiming to have 30,000 by the time Legisla- ture meets in February In the three months that Ore- gon’s $15 minimum wage ini- tiative has been on the streets, volunteers have collected close to 16,000 signatures. That actu- ally means they’re a little be- hind: The union-backed cam- paign has until July 8, 2016, to turn in 88,184 valid signatures, and they’re aiming to collect 125,000 in order to have a healthy buffer. Up to now, it’s been an all-volunteer effort ex- cept for full-time campaign co- ordinator Justin Norton-Kertson of the group 15 Now (and he earns $15 an hour). But the cam- paign got a boost in early De- cember when Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) committed $25,000 to fund paid signature gatherers. Incredibly, more than a quar- ter of the signatures collected so far have come from a single in- dividual: retired letter carrier Jamie Partridge, the initiative’s chief petitioner. Partridge, 66, is a lifelong activist and 31-year member of the National Associ- ation of Letter Carriers Branch 82. He’s been involved with countless groups over the years, including Portland Jobs with Justice, which he helped found. Retired letter carrier Jamie Partridge, above, is the chief petitioner on a ballot measure to raise Oregon’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018. In 2008, his civic involvement garnered official honors by proclamation of then-mayor Tom Potter. And Partridge only stepped up the pace after his 2011 retirement. Since mid-Sep- tember he’s spent 15 hours a week out on the sidewalks, rid- ing light rail, or outside public events gathering signatures. He’s approaching 5,000 signa- tures now and says he’s shoot- ing for 15,000 before the end of the campaign. “Generally people are very receptive and thankful that I’m doing it,” Partridge said of the reaction he gets when he ap- proaches with his clipboard. “Low-wage workers want to tell me their stories about how hard Turn to Page 15 Local 14, Spokane, WA. Local 751, Anchorage, AK. Local 29, Portland, OR. Local 506, Seattle, WA. Local 86 Seattle, WA. Local 516, Portland, OR. We Wish All The Working Men, Women and Their Fami- lies Joy and Happiness This Holiday Season and a Very Special New Year The Pacific Northwest Iron Workers District Council and its Affiliated Local Unions Merry Christmas and Happy New Year OREGON STATE B UILDING & C ONSTRUCTION T RADES C OUNCIL Executive Secretary John Mohlis Portland, Oregon, 503-788-7153 www.oregonbuildingtrades.com Like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/oregonbuildingtrad es The Executive Board, Staff and members of OPEIU Local 11 wish everyone a Happy and Joy-filled Holiday! Office & Professional Employees International Union Local 11
