Page 2, Portland Observer, December 5. 1984
Family wage jobs
decrease in Oregon
by Hubert Lothian
"O rego n's good jobs are increas
ingly being replaced by low -paying,
often dead end jobs." That's the con
clusion o f a report released in July
from the Joint Legislative Committee
on trade and Economic Development
The report, "Declining Number of
Family Wage Jobs," documents what
economic analysts have described as
O reg o n ’ s trend tow ard becoming a
new Appalachia. As in other parts of
the country hard hit by the reces
sion, many o f Oregon's good jobs of
the past are gone, replaced by jobs in
fast food places and gas stations.
The state lost 75,000 jobs to the re
cession, according to the report, along
with the headquarters o f three " F o r
tune 3 0 0 " corporations and 65 ,000
residents.
O f the jobs lost, 60 ,000 o f them
paid an average wage o f SlO.OO/hr.
or more, mainly jobs in lumber, wood
products, construction and manufac
tu ring . They were the kind o f jobs
that brought in a " fa m ily wage” —
$ 2 0 ,0 0 0 /year or m ore — enough to
provide a moderate standard o f living
for an average fam ily. The jobs also
provided a secure tax base fo r the
stale’s social services.
But according to the report, only
about h a lf o f the 23,000 jobs p ro
duced by the "re c o v e ry " have been
high paying jobs in those industries.
"In s te a d ," it says, "O regon’s recov
ery has been p rim a rily fueled by
growth in services and retailing indus
tries w ith average wages between
$ 5 .0 0 and $6 .5 0 per h o u r,” or be
tween $ 10,000-$ IJ .0 0 0 /year.
A look at the jobs available at the
State Employment Division office at
the A lb in a M u lti-S ervice Center
shows that $ 5 .0 0 /h o u r and $ 6 .0 0 /
hour jobs are few and far between.
M a n y jo b seekers are faced w ith the
prospect o f a minimum wage jo b , and
it doesn’t take a mathematical genius
to figure out how far a $ 3 .3 S /h o u r
job goes in supporting a family.
M an y O regon fam ilies can look
forward to a lower standard o f living
and a poorer quality o f life, the report
says. And for communities, the situ
ation means an eroded tax base and
impaired ability to pay for the public
services — education, police and
Fire protection, road repair and parks
— that have contributed to Oregon's
quality o f life.
According to the report, the aver
age family with an income of $20,000
per year paid an Oregon income
tax o f $1,000. But a typical fam ily
with a $12,000 - $14,000 income paid
about $500 in income taxes.
Things are not likely to get better
soon. O regon w ill not gain back its
1979 em ploym ent peak u ntil 1987,
given the current pace o f recovery, the
report says. And what is happening in
Oregon is al? i nationwide trend, ac
cording to th . report: traditional well-
paid jobs in auto, steel, coals, glass,
rubber and other basic industries are
on the decline, turning once thriving
communities into ghost towns.
The report says that for minorities
and w om en, who never made those
good wages in the first place, the
outlook is discouraging. Women and
minorities "m a y find the good jobs
disappearing at just the time they get
an equal chance to compete for them
. . . if the number o f good jobs contin
ues to decline in the long term , w o
men and minorities might find it that
much more difficult to achieve equal
ity in the workplace."
The report also mentions that many
o f the state’s good jobs were also
union jobs — high wages and health
and w elfare programs were won
through collective bargaining and
strikes. The decline means a loss o f
bargaining power fo r unions, and
many previously union fam ilies are
now without health insurance.
Candidates to debate at King
C ity Council hopefuls Dick Bogle
and Herb Cawthorne are scheduledj
for a joint appearance Thursday eve
ning, December 13, 7:30 p.m . in the
King School C a fe to riu m . Issues o f
concern to the community — prosti
tution, jobs, etc.— are on the agenda.
It is important that citizens hear the
candidates. It is also im portant that
the candidates hear the people. This
m eeting w ill be a " H e a r and Be
Heard" opportunity.
Be an inform ed voter. Attend the
meeting December 13 and vote your
choice on December 18.
The meeting is being sponsored by
a number o f comm unity groups and
individuals. It is for all the people of
our area, including Northeast C o ali
tion o f Neighborhoods, Black United
Front, Oregon Rainbow Organizing
C o m m itte e and
N eighborhood
rescue.
For m ore in fo rm a tio n , call Bob
Nelson, 287-4050 or 2484575.
Official Notice of BIENNIAL ELECTION of Off«
and National Board Members
Portland Branch NAACP
D K tfflb w 9.1984. 4:00 p m
Hughes Memorial Church
Door* Open at 3:30 p.m. to check voting eligibility.
Please note: The meeting is the SECOND SUN DAY rather than
the Third Sunday as is usual
Randy's Restaurant
Good Homecooked Food
Good Prices
Good Service
OPEN
7:00am 12:00am
Mon.-Thur
7:00am-1:00pm
Fri. fr Set
Fresh Catfish Every Friday Night
446 N.E. Killingsworth
Joan Smith, one of the 19 candidates who ran for the City Council
seat vreated by Charles Jordan, publicly endorsed Herb Cawthorne
today. Cawthorne faces Dick Bogle In a runoff election for the seat
on Tuesday. December 18. Smith said. "I am a former chairperson of
the Portland Planning Commission, so I know, first-hand, the chal
lenges of being an effective government leader. So does Herb Caw
thorne. He has held public office before, having been elected and
having served the past 6 'A years on the Portland School Board. He
has a proven track record that shows he knows how to get things
accomplished: that shows he has the skills to translate talk Into
action. If I could personally talk to each end every person who voted
for it e in the November 6 election. I would encourage them to vote
for Herb Cawthorne for City Council on December 18."
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
281 5472
Announcing
wide area paging coverage
without
the wide area price.
Teen pregnancy on rise
According to the Oregon State
Health Division, one out o f 11 O re
gon teens, 15-19 years old, reported a
pregnancy in 1981. Teenagers face se
rious health risks and medical compli
cations during pregnancy and child
birth. For teens there is a greater risk
o f maternal or infant death, and an
increased risk o f having infants with
low birth weights, congenital defects
and mental and physical handicaps,
these poor b irth outcomes are fre
quently attributed to inadequate pre
natal care and poor nutrition.
M ore than 90 percent o f all teens
who give birth keep their babies,
however, they often encounter med
ical, economical and social problems.
It has been estimated that three quar
ters o f all mothers age 17 and under
lack health insurance, making it d iffi
cult for them to obtain health care,
teens who become pregnant are much
more likely to drop out of school and
become dependent upon welfare. A #
teen mother who is still in the process
o f growing up herself, often needs
help in learning how to cope with the
demands of parenthood and in sort
ing out her own needs for support
and survival.
The Teen Connections Program is
focusing its outreach efforts in North
Portland where the need is significant.
However, anyone who calls the infor
mation line will be assisted no matter
where they live in the city.
Both adult and teen volunteers are
needed by the program. Anyone who
wants to volunteer may apply by
calling the Program Coordinator at
286-8371.
The Teen Connections Program is
plart o f N o rth C o m m un ity Action
Council's Northcare neighborhood
health program fo r the medically
The paging people who haw always brought you
selection and service now bring you one of the
widest coverage areas In Portland
Plus one big advantage: Our competitors charge
you for “extended coverage." RAM Includes It as
standard bill of fare.
Premium coverage without a premium price.
Because at RAM. we believe your pager Is only as
good as the area It reaches.
needy. Pregnant teens comprise a
medically at-risk group since they
frequently defer or neglect health
care. Northcare w ill provide short
term health care, health care screen
ings, and help in accessing care from
established health providers to meet
serious or ongoing needs. Those who
w ill be helped include the w orking
poor and unemployed who are w ith
out health insurance or the ability to
pay for care, and those who are at risk
o f serious health problems but who
fail to seek care for one reason or
another.
Northcare recently received a $15,-
000 challenge grant from the M . J.
M urdock C h aritab le T ru st, and a
$5,000 grant from the Oregon C o m
m unity Foundation. About $25,000
has been raised for Northcare, and an
additional $25,000 is being sought to
qualify for matching grants. A d d i
tional monies have also been donated
for remodeling clinic quarters
2 2 6 -1 5 0 7
*7¿e “S eelen P e a ^ U f
RAM Broadcasting of Oregon Inc . 713 S W 12th Avenue
Let P o rtla n d Observer
Natural gas
costs a lot less.
This is the annual meeting as well as the Biennial Election. There
will be some annual reports on Branch Activities. Dick Bogle, Can
didate for City Commissioner, will speak at 4:16. (Herb Cawthorne
spoke November 18at Branch Meeting.)
Any member over 17 who Is in good standing 30 days before this
election is eligible to vote.
Any member over 17 who is in good standing 30 days before this election
« eligible to vote.
Hazel Q. Hays. President
Janet Clemmer. Acting Secretary
Companion Kurd on 97% efficient g.n furnace. healing comumpnonof 4.1 IN
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