Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2016)
January 20, 2016 Page 7 O PINION Statue of Trumperty a n o ther W ords Cartoon by K halil b endib New Prices Effective May 1, 2014 Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Trafic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Trafic Area (Hallway Extra) Time to Make All Wages Living Wages Winning the ight for $15 J ill r eese Millions of low-paid Amer- icans rang in 2016 with a raise, as a hand- ful of state min- imum wage increases went into effect on the irst day of January. Many of those raises are a barely noticeable 15 or 20 cents an hour — little comfort to peo- ple struggling to make ends meet. But workers in the cities and states that voted for more robust wages last year saw much more signiicant gains. Minimum wage workers in Alaska, California, Massachu- setts, and Nebraska, for exam- ple, are inding a dollar-an-hour increase in their paychecks. Workers in Hawaii are enjoying an extra $1.25 an hour. In Seat- tle, some workers at bigger com- panies are seeing a substantial $2 hourly increase as the city’s by $15 minimum wage is phased in. The national campaign for a $15 minimum wage emerged as a leading economic justice issue last year. It’s also a critical ra- cial justice issue: Half of all African-American workers and almost 60 percent of Lati- no workers make less than $15 an hour. The momentum to raise the minimum wage will only increase in 2016 as public sup- port grows. Yet too many states — 21 of them, concentrated mainly in the South — haven’t budged from the federal min- imum wage of $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. Many of these holdouts have deep pools of poverty. Most deny poor families health care by refusing to expand Medic- aid, and nearly all have held the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers to $2.13 an hour for 25 years. The problem with efforts to raise the wage city by city and state by state is that it leaves out workers in states without a citizen initiative process, or in communities without strong unions or leadership. Millions of low-wage workers are at risk of becoming a left-behind un- derclass. That means it’s time for Con- gress to increase the national minimum wage — and to abol- ish the lower, sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. If they aren’t sure how to do it, leaders from New York to Los Angeles have provided plenty of exam- ples. Research from my organiza- tion, the Alliance for a Just So- ciety, shows that a living wage for a single adult ranges from $14.26 in Arkansas to $21.44 in Hawaii. On average, a worker would have to put in 93 hours a week just to get by on the fed- eral minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The numbers underscore the crisis facing families in our country. Often, low-wage workers are told that the solution is to go get a better-paying job, but the re- ality is there are nowhere near enough jobs that pay a living wage. The occupations with the most job openings — in retail and restaurants — pay the least, and they’re most likely to be part-time. We’ve become a low-wage nation, with implications that reach far beyond just low pay. Low-wage jobs also mean part- time hours, unpredictable sched- ules, and no beneits or paid sick leave — making it impossible for workers to break even. It’s unacceptable that any- one who works full-time in our country should go hungry, homeless, or without care for their child. This is the year to make all wages living wages. Without action, Congress is en- dorsing the creation of a new class of poverty among our workers. Jill Reese is the associate di- rector of the Alliance for a Just Society, a national organization focusing on economic and ra- cial justice. Distributed by Oth- erWords.org. Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
