Governor moves up proposed minimum wage hike

On the eve of a short legislative session, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday updated her proposal to raise the minimum wage, saying it would take effect in July, not six months later.

“Based on feedback from stakeholders, I have refined my proposal, beginning implementation in 2016, so workers get higher pay sooner, andextending the glide path to give businesses more time to prepare for higher wages,” Brown said.

The governor’s revised plan calls for implementation of a higherminimumwage to begin in July, six months earlier than originally proposed.

Statewide, minimum wage would start at $9.75 and rise to $13.25 by 2022. Inside the Portland metro urban growth boundary, the minimum wage would start at $9.75 and increase to $14.50 by 2022.

After 2022, the wage could increase annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

If lawmakers don’t act in February, some groups plan to seek signatures to put a minimum wage hike on the November ballot,.

In response to the proposal, the Raise the Wage coalition issued the following statement fromTom Chamberlain, president of Oregon AFL-CIO:

“Six months ago, the Raise the Wage coalition launched with the support of thousands of workers, small business owners, and community leaders from across the state with the shared goal of increasing Oregon’s minimum wage in 2016. The Governor’s continued work on a proposal for the February session shows that the goal of higher wages may be within sight.

“The proposal announced by Governor Brown represents a step forward for Oregon’s low-wage workers, no matter where they work. The minimum wage workers that went without a raise in January of 2016 could see a 50-cent rise in July, which is a big deal for working families that are living from paycheck to paycheck. The announcement comes after thousands of workers from every corner of the state have called and written to their legislators and delivered the message loud and clear that no one working full time should live in poverty.

“We firmly believe that all workers need to be paid a fair wage, regardless of how long they’ve been working, how old they are or what industry they are employed in.

“A higher wage is not yet the law of the land. As the legislative session begins next week, working men and women around the state will have their eyes on Salem. Until a bill is passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, we will continue to make our voices heard, share our stories, and call on our elected leaders to raise the wage and prepare for a ballot measure.”

About Raise the Wage Oregon:

Raise the Wage is a large and growing coalition of workers, business owners, and community groups working together to increase the state’s minimum wage in 2016.

The growing list of organizations supporting Raise the Wage includes: Adelante Mujeres, AFSCME, AFT Oregon, American Association of University Women Oregon, APANO, Bakers Local 114, Basic Rights Oregon, Bitch Media, Bradley Angle, Bricklayers, Bus Project, Carpenters 146, Carpenters Local 1503, Causa Oregon, Center for Intercultural Organizing, Centro Latino Americano , Children First for Oregon, Church Women United, Clatsop County Democrats, Community Alliance of Tenants, Community Rights Lane County, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Fair Shot, Family Forward, Impact Northwest, Klamath County Democrats, La Bonita, Lane County Democrats, Main Street Alliance of Oregon, Marion County Democrats, Northwest Oregon Labor Council, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, Oregon AFL-CIO , Oregon Center for Christian Voices, Oregon Center for Public Policy, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, Oregon Education Association, Oregon Health Equity Alliance, Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Oregon Now, Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon Strong Voice, Oregon Working Families Party, Organizing for America Oregon, Our Oregon, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, PCUN, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, Portland Jobs with Justice, Portland Women’s Crisis Line, Pride Foundation, SEIU Local 49, SEIU Local 503, Tillamook Co Democrats, UFCW Local 555, UNETE, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem Social Justice in Action Team, United Steelworkers, Urban League of Portland, YWCA Oregon. Businesses that have endorsed Raise the Wage include: Hawthorne Auto Clinic, Inc., Paperjam Press, Bipartisan Caf, Palo Alto Software, La Bonita, Uppercut Barbershop, Biddy McGraw’s, Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters, Brain Joy, Trillium Natural Foods, First Cup Coffeehouse, and Denim Salvage.

To learn more, visit www.raisethewageoregon.org.