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Oregon $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (2016)
| Oregon $15 Minimum Wage Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Amendment |
| Origin | Citizens |
| Topic | Minimum wage |
| Status | Not on the ballot |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (Petition #41) was an initiated state statute proposed for the Oregon ballot on November 8, 2016. It did not appear on the ballot.
On March 7, 2016, the organization supporting the measure, 15 Now Oregon, announced the suspension of signature gathering. This news came a result of reduced support for the initiative in the aftermath of minimum wage legislation passed on March 2, 2016.[1]
The measure would have increased the state's hourly minimum wage over three years until it reached $15 by 2019.[2]
The idea of a ballot measure was endorsed by the SEIU Local 503, Oregon Schools Employees Association and 15 Now PDX.[3]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[4]
| “ |
Increases minimum wage: $11.50 in 2017; $13.25 in 2018; $15.00 in 2019 Result of "Yes" Vote: "Yes" vote increases minimum hourly wage for employees to: $11.50 (2017), $13.25 (2018), and $15.00 (2019); annual increases for inflation after 2019. Result of "No" Vote: "No" vote retains existing minimum hourly wage laws. Minimum hourly wage is $9.25 for 2015 calendar year, adjusted for inflation annually (on January 1). Summary: Measure raises Oregon's minimum wage. Under current law, Oregon's minimum wage is $9.25 per hour during the 2015 calendar year. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries annually adjusts the minimum hourly wage for the next calendar year based on any percentage increase in the U.S. City Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for All Items (from August of the previous year to August of the current year), rounded to the nearest $.05. Measure increases Oregon's minimum wage to $11.50 in 2017, $13.25 in 2018, and $15.00 in 2019; Oregon's minimum wage for calendar years after 2019 will be annually adjusted as provided under current law.[5] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure was as follows:[6]
| “ |
Relating to minimum wage rate; amending ORS 653.025 Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. ORS 653.025 is amended to read: 653.025. (1) Except as provided by ORS 652.020 and the rules of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries issued under ORS 653.030 and 653.261, for each hour of work time that the employee is gainfully employed, no employer shall employ or agree to employ any employee at wages computed at a rate lower than: (a) For calendar year 1997, $5.50. (b) For calendar year 1998, $6.00. (c) For calendar years after December 31, 1998, and before January 1, 2003, $6.50. (d) For calendar year 2003, $6.90. (e) For calendar years [after 2003] 2004 through 2016, a rate adjusted for inflation. (f) For calendar year 2017, $11.50. (g) For calendar year 2018, $13.25. (h) For calendar year 2019, $15.00. (2)(a) The Oregon minimum wage shall be adjusted annually for inflation, as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection. (b) No later than September 30 of each year, beginning in calendar year [2003] 2019, the commissioner shall calculate an adjustment of the wage amount specified in subsection (1) of this section based upon the increase (if any) from August of the preceding year to August of the year in which the calculation is made in the U.S. City Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for All Items as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor or its successor. (c) The wage amount established under this subsection shall: (A) Be rounded to the nearest five cents; and (B) Become effective as the new Oregon minimum wage, replacing the dollar figure specified in the subsection (1) of this section, on January 1 of the following year. NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted. New sections are in boldfaced type.[5] |
” |
Background
Multnomah County
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution on December 4, 2014, increasing the minimum wage for county employees to $15 per hour by July 2016. The increase was part of a collective bargaining deal between the county board and AFSCME Local 88, which represented about 2,600 county workers at the time. The wages of non-union temporary and on-call staff were also included in the resolution. This made Multnomah County the first county and largest public employer in Oregon to adopt a $15 minimum wage.[7]
Legislation
For the 2015 legislative session, a number of Democratic legislators introduced a bill, titled LC 1911, into the Oregon Legislature that would increase the state's hourly minimum wage to $15 by January 2016. Businesses with less than 10 employees would see the minimum wage increase to $12.50 in 2016 and then on to $15 in 2017. Sen. Chip Shields (D-22), the bill's chief sponsor, was approached by 15 Now PDX's Jamie Partridge, who worked with the senator to craft the legislation. Partridge said, "We [15 Now PDX] approached him. He's been a staunch supporter of working people for years. He also happens to be my personal senator. His office has been very helpful in advising us in how to go about getting other folks on board."[8]
Sen. Michael Dembrow (D-23), another sponsor of the bill, argued in favor of LC 1911, saying, "I think a lot of people want to see the Legislature look at making sure the work that people do allows them to stay out of dependency on public support. That's the purpose of the minimum wage." Sen. Tim Knopp (R-27) criticized the effort, arguing, "I think they are totally going in the wrong direction because this isn't sound economic policy. You're going to raise prices, and you're going to hurt the labor market."
Democrats had majorities in both the house and senate and could have passed LC 1911 without any Republican votes in favor. However, the Democratic sponsors of LC 1911 still needed to convince additional members of their caucus to sign on before the legislation can be passed.[8] House Majority Leader Val Hoyle (D-14) said she opposed a $15 minimum wage.[9] Anne McDonnell, a steering committee member of 15 NOW PDX and member of LiUNA Local 483, said a failure to pass LC 1911 would lead to a ballot initiative campaign. She contended, "No one deserves to live in poverty. If the legislature fails to pass $15 for the working class, then we will go to the ballot and the people of Oregon will pass it."[10]
The legislation passed both the Senate and House and proceeded to Gov. Kate Brown, who signed it into law on March 2, 2016.[11]
Support
15 Now Oregon listed 80 groups on its website that support their cause, including:[12]
- Oregon AFSCME Council 75
- AFSCME Local 88
- AFSCME Local 328
- American Federation of Teachers - Oregon
- Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon
- Amalagmated Transit Union Local 757
- Bipartisan Outpost
- Buckman Cannabis
- Columbia River Carpenters Local 1503
- Cascadian Neighborhood Farm Guild
- Causa
- Center for Intercultural Organizing
- CURRENTS of Justice for Peace
- CWA Local 7901
- Don't Shoot Portland
- Eastside Guitar Repair
- ILWU Local 5
- Filter Free Radio
- Hawthorne Auto Clinic
- Holy Mole Food Truck
- Hungry Tiger
- IBEW Local 48
- ILWU Local 8
- The Marissa Mission
- Impact NW
- Portland Jobs With Justice
- Johnny's Original Montavilla Barber Shop
- Lane County Central Labor Council
- LiUNA! Laborer's Local 483
- Main Street Alliance of Oregon
- Marion, Polk, Yamhill Counties - Central Labor Council
- MSN Media
- Musicians Union Local 99
- Oregon State Association of Letter Carriers
- Northwest Alliance for Alternative Media & Education: PDX Alliance
- North East Oregon Central Labor
- No Nukes NW
- Oregon Nurses Association
- Oregon School Employees Association Staff Union
- Northwest Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
- Oregon AFL-CIO
- Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans
- Oregon Education Assocation
- Portland Association of Teachers
- Pineros y Campesinos Unidos el Noroeste
- Southern Oregon Strong Voice
- Portland International Socialist Organization
- Right 2 Survive
- Oregon School Employees Association
- Portland NAACP
- Professional & Technical Employees Local 17
- Rural Organizing Project
- Quan Linh Asian Bistros
- Pacific Green Party of Oregon
- Southern Oregon Central Labor Council
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- AFT Local 2277
- SEIU Local 503
- Tara Tibetan Collection
- Socialist Alternative
- University of Oregon Student Labor Action Project
- UA Local 290
- PSU Progressive Student Union
- UFCW555UFCW Local 555
- SEIU Local 49
- The Belfry
- United HERE Local 8
- Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network
- VOZ Workers' Rights Education Project
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Transit Riders Union
- Teamsters Local 206
- Urban League of Portland
- Tenant Rights Project
- Veloce Bicycles
- USW Oregon L&E Committee
- Third Eye Shoppe
- United Steel Works Local 8378
- Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ
- YWCA
- 3 Moons Massage
- Workers Action
Oregonians for 15 listed the following groups on its website that support their cause:[13]
- Northwest Workers' Justice Project
- Laborers Local 483
- Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
Arguments in favor
Justin Norton-Kertson, an organizer for 15 Now Oregon, said,[14]
| “ | It's really not so much a matter of why as need. The minimum wage really needs to raise — it's a poverty wage now. The recession is over, the economy has recovered. The economy in Oregon is growing three times the rate of the national average, but wages have been stagnant."[5] | ” |
15 Now Oregon argues on their website:[15]
| “ | AS THE CLASS DIVIDE GROWS, POVERTY WAGES ARE THE NEW NORMAL
Oregon’s working families are falling behind. Our state economy is the second-fastest growing in the nation, and business is better than ever. But most workers’ wages haven’t kept up with the rising cost of living for decades, and 95 percent of income gains since the Great Recession have gone to the wealthiest one percent. Meanwhile, nearly half of new jobs pay poverty wages, and there are nine job-seekers for every available living-wage job. Amid a lack of opportunity, hard work is no longer enough to get ahead. ALL WORKERS ARE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT At the current minimum wage of $9.25 an hour, a full-time worker takes home less than $20,000 a year. That’s not enough to live on, let alone support a family. Women, people of color, and single parents are overrepresented among the more than half a million Oregonians who make less than $15. They grow, cook and serve our food, clean our classrooms and hotel rooms, care for our elderly relatives in hospitals and homes, and do many other tasks our communities rely on. They shouldn’t have to live in poverty.[5] |
” |
15 Now PDX states on their website:[16]
| “ | Raising the minimum wage puts more money in the hands of those who have to spend all the money they make. When you make the bare minimum it is hard to save for a rainy day. When workers have more money they spend it, and so businesses have more customers. Sales increase which leads to more production, more profit, and more hiring. In this way raising the minimum wage provides an economic boost that will benefit the entire City of Portland.
Raising the minimum wage also benefits taxpayers. When workers are paid a decent and dignified wage, when workers are paid what they are worth then they don’t need to rely on SNAP benefits and other government assistance programs to help them and their families survive. This alleviates strain on the public budget, and free’s up public resources for things other than subsidizing corporate America’s low-wages, poor job benefits, and exorbitant executive salaries.[5] |
” |
Opposition
Arguments against
The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to the Senate Workforce and General Government House Business and Labor committees, saying:[17]
| “ | Will this legislation strengthen or hinder the ability of the private sector to grow and create jobs for area residents? For our Chamber and our membership, made up of 80% small businesses, the answer to that question as it pertains to raising the minimum wage is an overwhelming no, and as such we continue to vigorously oppose any efforts to artificially raise the minimum wage in our state.
Please consider the following points:
|
” |
Polls
| Oregon $15 Minimum Wage | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Support | Oppose | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| GBA Strategies 1/12/2015 - 1/14/2015 | 54.0% | 38.0% | 8.0% | +/-3.5 | 800 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Path to the ballot
Jamie G. Partridge, Marcy Westerling and Ramon Ramirez submitted a petition to the Oregon Secretary of State on April 17, 2015. The initiative received a certified ballot title on August 21, 2015, and was approved for circulation on September 10, 2015. Supporters were required to collect at least 88,184 valid signatures by July 1, 2016, to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.[2]
On March 7, 2016, the organization supporting the measure, 15 Now Oregon, announced the suspension of signature gathering. This news came a result of reduced support for the initiative in the aftermath of minimum wage legislation passed on March 2, 2016. The statement said,[1]
| “ | While our coalition, Oregonians for 15, steadfastly maintains that the newly enacted minimum wage is too low and too slow, we also have to recognize the fact that organizational as well as voter support for the $15 ballot measure has significantly diminished since the bill was passed. This is most clearly apparent in the results of a poll that was recently run for Oregon Public Broadcasting. The poll shows that since the minimum wage bill passed, support among likely Oregon voters for the $15 ballot initiative has dropped from over 50% to only 28%.[5] | ” |
15 Now Oregon did not support the minimum wage legislation. The organization said that it was "too low and too slow."[1]
State profile
| Demographic data for Oregon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,024,634 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 95,988 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 85.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.8% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 30.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $51,243 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oregon. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Oregon
Oregon voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in Oregon, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.[18]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Oregon had two Retained Pivot Counties, 1.10 of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Oregon coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Oregon
- United States congressional delegations from Oregon
- Public policy in Oregon
- Endorsers in Oregon
- Oregon fact checks
- More...
Related measures
See also
External links
Support
Additional reading
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 15 Now Oregon, "$15 ballot initiative ends signature gathering: statement by 15 Now," March 7, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oregon Secretary of State, "Raise Oregon's Minimum Wage to $15 per hour over three years History," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ 15 Now PDX, "SEIU 503 Endorses 15 Now PDX, Statewide Ballot Measure for $15 in Oregon!" August 19, 2014
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Complete title and AG letter," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Oregonians For 15, "State Initiative," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ The Oregonian, "Multnomah County employee minimum wage to reach $15 per hour," December 4, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Statesman Journal, "Bill to raise Oregon minimum wage has Democratic support," December 12, 2014
- ↑ Bend Bulletin, "Oregon $15/hour minimum wage backers, foes assemble ahead of session," January 11, 2015
- ↑ 15 Now PDX, "Legislation for $15 Minimum Wage in Oregon Picks Up 11 Sponsors," December 11, 2014
- ↑ OPB, "Oregon Gov. Brown signs landmark minimum wage bill into law," March 2, 2016
- ↑ 15 Now Oregonians, "Endorsements," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ Oregonians for 15, "In The News," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ Statesman Journal, "Protesters at Capitol demand higher minimum wage," January 24, 2015
- ↑ 15 Now Oregon, "Why Support 15 Minimum Wage," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ 15 Now PDX, "About," accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ Salem-News.com, "Salem chamber speaks out against minimum wage increase," January 26, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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