http://koin.com/2014/05/07/64057/ PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) — A rally advocating a dramatic raise of Portland’s minimum wage took place Wednesday at City Hall. Supporters of a growing movement to lift Portland’s minimum wage to $15 an hour gathered together at noon for “Living Wage Wednesday.” “This rally is part of a grassroots campaign that is bringing together our whole community from neighborhoods, unions, and student groups to local businesses, activists, and community organizations to demand $15/hour minimum wage now,” said Justin Norton-Kertson, a co-founder of the event’s organizer, 15 Now PDX. “We need immediate action. The rent can’t wait.” Click the photo above to view minimum wage laws across the US. (Dept. of Labor) Click the photo above to view minimum wage laws across the US. (Dept. of Labor) Among the rally’s speakers was City Council candidate Nicholas Caleb, who has centered much of his campaign on bringing a higher wage to Portlanders. The City of Portland itself can’t raise it’s minimum wage, however. Oregon — which already boasts the second highest minimum wage in the country at $9.10 an hour — would have to lift that bar. The Oregon Business Association said they’re concerned with a $15 per hour rate. Oregon’s minimum wage increases each year based on cost-of-living factors, they said. “As cost of everything from gas to milk goes up, let’s every year recalculate our minimum wage and push it higher because everything else is getting more expensive,” said Ryan Deckert, the president of the Oregon Business Association. The state’s labor and industries commissioner, Brad Avakian, said in a statement Oregon’s economy is changing, which is a reason a push to raise the minimum wage is underway. “Today, the median minimum wage earner is likely to be a woman in her 30s working full time,” Avakian said. “Because of this new reality, more Oregonians are looking at our wage floor and asking whether anyone working full time should have to live in poverty.” The Portland Business Alliance declined to comment to KOIN 6 News because, they said, nothing is set in stone on this matter. The rally follows Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s recently announced plan to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15. The federal minimum wage has been steady at $7.25 since 2009.
The city loves to fuck all businesses, except at the port, and only if those businesses pay union wages.
Why can't the City of Portland do it? Seattle did. Geez this would be a blast to observe. Gresham, Milwaukie, Oregon City, West Linn, Beaverton, Tualatin, Vancouver, all would be happy as hell.
If that happened, i would move up to Vancouver, and commute to flip burgers and make more than college graduates down here.
Wow. It is gunna fuck Seattle, and now those bastards want to fuck Portland too. No thanks. When will it stop? Min wage raises the cost of goods, which in turn raises min wage, which in turn raises goods, AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! make it stop!!!! They should focus on getting gas below 2 dollars a gallon. THAT in itself is a god damn raise to everyone. Fuel costs are one of the biggest factors (or excuses) for inflation.
I am in favor of raising the minimum wage. But I think it's perfectly logical to watch what happens to Seattle before we follow their decision. Oh and the state of Oregon legally must have a uniform minimum wage, ie no city specific wages, and I can't imagine the whole state being in agreement.
I think I earned about $6.25 in my first job working at Sbarro's in the mall food court in high school.
$3.25/hr in the 80s working in the school cafeteria in middle school. Then $4/hr in HS to referee grade school basketball on Saturday mornings.
.75/hour tilling lime into chicken house litter on a egg farm. Not much but it paid my rent and dinner.
