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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2016)
BUSINESS East Oregonian Page 8A Saturday, April 2, 2016 $15 min-wage movement sets sights on more states By JENNIFER PELTZ and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press California and New York ²ZKHUHDOPRVWLQ$PHU icans live — are on their way to raising their minimum ZDJHWRDQKRXUDQGWKH activists who spearheaded those efforts are now setting their sights on other similarly OLEHUDO 'HPRFUDWLFOHG states. Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, 2UHJRQ 5KRGH ,VODQG DQG :DVKLQJWRQ DUH DPRQJ WKH states with active “Fight IRU ´ HIIRUWV DQG HYHQ economic experts who oppose the increased rate see it gaining momentum. “There is lots of pressure WR GR WKLV´ VDLG 'RXJODV +ROW](DNLQ D IRUPHU &RQJUHVVLRQDO%XGJHW2I¿FH director who is now president of the conservative American Action Forum, which says ELJPLQLPXPZDJHLQFUHDVHV cost jobs. The idea faces headwinds in more conservative and rural states in the South and the Midwest. But activists believe the movement is picking up steam, even if their two big victories so far were achieved in two highly recep WLYH SODFHV WUHQGVHWWLQJ OLEHUDO ODERUIULHQGO\ VWDWHV with a high cost of living and yawning gaps between rich and poor, especially in New <RUN&LW\DQG6LOLFRQ9DOOH\ “In the beginning, it ORRNHG LPSRVVLEOH´ VDLG $OYLQ 0DMRU D IDVWIRRG worker and leader of the )LJKWIRUFDPSDLJQ%XW now, “what happened in New York, in California, it’s going WRVSUHDGDURXQGWKHFRXQWU\´ 6LQFH WKH DQKRXU movement planted roots with a 2012 New York City fast food workers strike, it has gained ground amid the broader debate over income inequality. Cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco have recently DJUHHG WR JR WR LQ WKH coming years, and Oregon’s minimum wage is headed to LQ3RUWODQG Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has EHHQ SXVKLQJ IRU D DQ hour standard nationally, while President Barack Obama has called more generally for raising the minimum wage. The federal PLQLPXPLVFXUUHQWO\ VWDWHV DQG :DVKLQJWRQ D.C., have set theirs higher. New York and California are now on track to have the highest. California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is set Monday to sign a measure boosting the current $10 rate WRE\ State of minimum wage laws Most states have boosted minimum wage levels above the federal rate, which has been $7.25 since 2009. For states with lower rates or no rate, the federal minimum applies. Higher than federal minimum Same as federal minimum Lower than federal minimum No minimum wage law SOURCE: Department of Labor UMATILLA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ANNUAL MEETING & MEMBERSHIP DINNER 79 Years 1937 - 2016 Saturday, April 16, 2016 Hermiston Conference Center 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Our Annual Meeting theme “Building For The Future” is a recognition of the milestone projects underway or completed in 2015, and what we expect in 2016. As always, attendance is free to UEC members. We hope you will join us! F Featured Speaker Mark Speckman, M c celebrated football c coach and inspirational s speaker, will highlight Umatilla Electric’s 2016 U Annual Meeting! A PENDLETON — Sarah Short recently obtained her property and casualty insurance license. She has been working for Terry Becktold at Farmers Insurance in Pendleton for the last seven months as an administrative assistant. Now that she has her license, she is being promoted to a producer for Farmers Insurance. Short initially gained some of her insurance experience by working at the Short hospital in Baker City. She is married, has two children and lives in Pendleton. 7KHRI¿FHLVORFDWHGDW6:)UD]HU$YH3HQGOHWRQ DQGWKHSKRQHQXPEHULV PENDLETON — Information on how to cultivate repeat customers, use social media effectively in business and other business tools are featured in the Spring Symposium. Sponsored by the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, the HYHQWLV7XHVGD\IURPQRRQWRSPDWWKH5HG/LRQ S.E. Nye Ave., Pendleton. The event, which includes lunch, costs $60 for chamber PHPEHUVDQGIRUQRQPHPEHUV$OVRSHRSOHDUH LQYLWHGWREULQJDJXHVWDVLW¶VWZRIRURQHUHJLVWUDWLRQ )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQRUWRUHJLVWHUFDOO P*E of¿cial to upGate chamber +(331(5²:HQG\9HOL]ZKRZRUNVZLWKSXEOLF policy and governmental affairs with Portland General Electric, will provide an update at Heppner’s April chamber of commerce meeting. 7KHQRKRVWOXQFKHRQLV7KXUVGD\DWQRRQDW+HSSQHU City Hall, 111 N. Main St. The meal is $10 per person. In addition, there will be a brief all entities report. To ensure there’s enough food, those planning to attend PXVW5693E\FDOOLQJE\7XHVGD\PRUQLQJ As of Jan. 1, 2016 RI WKH 0LGZHVW´ VDLG 3HWHU Dreier, a politics professor at Occidental College. Idaho lawmakers, for example, recently passed a measure barring local governments from raising the VWDWHZLGHPLQLPXPRI DQG 5HSXEOLFDQV LQ $UL]RQD are trying to do the same. The income gap has been widening in every state for at OHDVW \HDUV EXW LV SDUWLFX larly pronounced in states ZLWK ODUJH ¿QDQFLDO RU LQIRU mation technology industries, according to economists Mark Price of the Keystone 5HVHDUFK &HQWHU DQG (VWHOOH Sommeiller of the Institute for 5HVHDUFK LQ (FRQRPLFV DQG Social Sciences in France. The top 1 percent of New York taxpayers, for LQVWDQFHHDUQHGWLPHVWKH average income of the state’s UHPDLQLQJSHUFHQWLQ according to research from University of California at Berkeley economist (PPDQXHO 6DH] 1DWLRQDOO\ WKH WRS SHUFHQW PDGH WLPHVWKDWRIHYHU\RQHHOVHLQ California, the top earned 26 times more. Economists have long debated the impact of raising the minimum wage, and some recent research has found that modest increases seldom cost many jobs. But WKH MXPSV WR DUH ODUJHU than those economists have tested in the past, and there are fears of widespread job losses in some places. In New York City, Joseph Sarah Short receives insurance license Symposium offers business tips R.I. Del. D.C. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders have agreed on a more complex SODQ7KHPLQLPXPZRXOG JUDGXDOO\ULVHWRLQ1HZ <RUN&LW\E\WKHHQGRI and then in some prosperous suburbs by the end of 2021, EXW RQO\ WR LQ in the rest of the state, with IXUWKHULQFUHDVHVWRWLHGWR LQÀDWLRQDQGRWKHUHFRQRPLF indicators. The measure headed to Cuomo’s desk after passing the Legislature on Friday. New York’s graduated approach stemmed from QHJRWLDWLRQV ZLWK 5HSXE licans who worried such a sharp increase would devas tate businesses, particularly in the more fragile economy outside the New York metro politan area. Similar dynamics may play out in other parts of the FRXQWU\:KLOHPD\VHHP UHDVRQDEOH LQ KLJKSD\LQJ areas, “it’s a much harder OLIW LQ ORZZDJH DUHDV´ VDLG Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former DGYLVHUWR9LFH3UHVLGHQW-RH Biden. Also, California and New <RUN KDYH SROLWLFDOO\ LQÀX ential unions, strong commu QLW\ RUJDQL]LQJ DFWLYLW\ DQG Democratic politicians eager to translate the movement into legislation. “That’s not going to happen in some states, particularly in the South and maybe some BRIEFLY AP 6IHUUD]]DZRUULHVWKDWSD\LQJ ZLOOFRVWKLPKLVEDNHU\ La Bella Ferrera. The rate is nearly double what he now pays his employees, mostly students working part time. “The rent is so high, the SUR¿W PDUJLQ LV DOUHDG\ VR low, I don’t see how we can PDNHLWZRUN´KHVDLG³<RX can only charge so much for DFRRNLH´ %XWDQKRXUZRXOGEH D SHUFHQW UDLVH IRU 0DULD 9HOH]ZKRPDNHVDQ hour working at a children’s program and helps support her parents and grandparents. ³7KLV FLW\ LV FUD]\ expensive and only getting ZRUVH´VKHVDLG,IWKHERRVW took effect immediately, “it would make my life and my family’s life better — but in ¿YH\HDUV",FDQ¶WVD\´ Latino Business Network meets April 12 +(50,6721²7KH+HUPLVWRQ&KDPEHURI Commerce works to promote, educate and support Latino EXVLQHVVHVDQGRUJDQL]DWLRQVLQWKHJUHDWHU+HUPLVWRQDUHD through networking, advocacy and business community partnerships. Latino Business Network meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Hermiston &RQIHUHQFH&HQWHU6+LJKZD\(YHU\RQHLV welcome to attend. The upcoming meeting is April 12. )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDFW'HEELH3HGURDW RUGHEELH#KHUPLVWRQFKDPEHUFRP UniteG :ay seeks tournament sponsors 7KH8QLWHG:D\RI8PDWLOOD0RUURZ&RXQWLHVLV seeking sponsorships for its annual charity golf tournament. )RUWKHSDVWHLJKW\HDUVWKHORFDO8QLWHG:D\KDV hosted the tournament to help raise funds for the its partner DJHQFLHV7KLV\HDU¶VHYHQWLV)ULGD\-XO\DW:LOGKRUVH 5HVRUW*ROI&RXUVH Different levels of sponsorship are available, which includes corresponding levels of recognition. $OOPRQH\GRQDWHGWRWKHORFDO8QLWHG:D\VWD\VLQWKH DUHD,QDGGLWLRQDVDQRQSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQDOOGRQDWLRQV DUHWD[GHGXFWLEOH For more information, contact Kricket Nicholson at RUXQLWHGZD\XPFR#HRQLFRP Thank You Pendleton Foundation Trust for providing the funds to update the audio/visual equipment at the Pendleton Convention Center Learn more about the Pendleton Foundation at: www.pendletonfoundationtrust.com The Forest Plan and You 4.9 million acres of public land in Eastern Oregon are operating under plans and science that date back to 1990. Oregon Public Broadcasting will sit down with Malheur National Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin and representatives from environmentalist, recreation, tribal and timber interests to talk about confl icts of interest and the path forward. This conversation is brought to you by Oregon Public Broadcasting and the East Oregonian Wednesday, April 6 6:30- 8p.m. (Arrive before 6:30p.m. for seating, forum will begin at 7p.m.) Blue Mountain Community College ST-200 Lecture Hall The forum will be broadcast on Think Out Loud on Thursday at noon and 8p.m.
