From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Thu Dec 1 10:47:30 2011 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Bob Estabrook) Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 10:47:30 -0800 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian Honors Outstanding Oregon Employers Message-ID: <4ED75B42.919A.00CA.0@boli.state.or.us> Press Release For Immediate Distribution December 1, 2011 CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 Avakian Honors Outstanding Oregon Employers BOLI chief names 2011 champions in civil rights and workforce development PORTLAND- Today, State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), presented the 3rd Annual BOLI Business Leadership Awards at BOLI?s 27th Annual Employment Law Conference at the Oregon Convention Center. This year, two Oregon employers were recognized for their significant contributions to our communities and their embodiment of BOLI?s mission: to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination. This year?s honorees are: Civil Rights Champion ? Hawthorne Auto Clinic of Portland Hawthorne Auto co-owners Jim Houser and Liz Dally were nominated for their efforts to foster a more livable community. Houser?s work to increase small business employees? access to healthcare and to provide career paths in mechanical fields for diverse youth, and Dally?s support for Bradley-Angle House and leadership on workplace protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking?a civil right enforced by BOLI, coupled with their business commitment to the environment as a certified Eco-Logical Business, helped earn Hawthorne Auto this year?s Civil Rights Champion award. Workforce Development Champion ? SE Works of Portland For 14 years, SE Works has helped build positive connections between job seekers and employers. The extraordinary efforts of SE Works to assist job seekers, especially low-income, multi-barriered individuals, in seeking and applying for jobs have also translated to strong relationships with employer who will reach out to SE Works when they need reliable help. The range of services and programs offered by SE Works helped to set them apart as this year?s Workforce Development Champion. ?The bar for one of our awards gets higher every year,? Avakian said. ?Our champions represent the most compelling stories from our pool of nominees, and we want to keep hearing these stories. That?s why I?m officially opening nominations for the 2012 Business Leadership Awards today with a new, simplified process that will make it even easier to submit nominations.? From now through October 1st, nominations can be submitted by anyone at anytime, just by emailing BizAwards.BOLI at state.or.us with: The nominator?s name and contact information; The nominated employer, including their website and a contact person and reliable contact information; and How the nominee has demonstrated leadership in its commitment to fair workplaces, protecting civil rights in the community and/or developing a stronger workforce. Avakian created the BOLI Business Leadership Awards in 2009 to recognize the good work that Oregon?s employers do every day for the community, their workers, and the future of Oregon?s economy. ###### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 7303 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 12.01.11 BOLI Release - Business Award Winners.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 31651 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Tue Dec 20 11:44:00 2011 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Bob Estabrook) Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:44:00 -0800 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: BOLI Investigation Leads to Formal Charges against Typhoon! Message-ID: <4EF074FF.919A.00CA.0@boli.state.or.us> Press Release For Immediate Distribution December 20, 2011 CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 BOLI Investigation Leads to Formal Charges against Typhoon! Bureau of Labor and Industries seeks at least $250,000 per aggrieved employee PORTLAND ? The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has issued formal charges of civil rights violations against Typhoon!, Inc., and will seek at least a quarter-million dollars on behalf of each Thai employee subjected to unlawful employment practices by the restaurant chain. Oregon?s Civil Rights Division announced in May that investigators found substantial evidence that Typhoon used its leverage over workers recruited from Thailand to impose lower pay, longer hours and unfavorable contract terms that were not faced by non-Thai employees. ?Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental right in our workplaces,? said State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, who initiated the investigation of Typhoon?s practices. ?The evidence shows that Typhoon paid one class of workers less than another because of their national origin. BOLI will always take action to stop that kind of injustice.? Several Thai workers contacted Avakian in 2010. They had left their homes and families in Thailand based on Typhoon?s promises of a good job and fair wages. Instead they found themselves trapped in unreasonable contracts, receiving lower wages and working longer hours than their American counterparts who enjoyed better working conditions. Hearing their personal stories, Avakian invoked the Labor Commissioner?s statutory authority to file a commissioner?s complaint. A commissioner?s complaint functions like any civil rights complaint filed with BOLI, but offers greater protection against retaliation because individual workers need not file in their own name. BOLI?s charges seek non-economic damages of at least $250,000 for each E-2 visa employee discriminated against by Typhoon based on national origin. In addition, BOLI has identified at least 11 Thai workers, employed under the E-2 visa program, who were unlawfully paid less than U.S. citizens for work as cooks in Typhoon?s Beaverton, SW Broadway, NW Everett and Gresham locations. The charges seek wages to compensate those workers and any others similarly situated and also seek an order bringing their pay in line with their non-Thai co-workers. The Typhoon case will be prosecuted before BOLI?s Hearings Unit, with an administrative law hearing scheduled for May 15, 2012. Any final order in the case will be issued by BOLI Deputy Commissioner Doug McKean. ###### The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 7303 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 12.20.11 BOLI Release - Typhoon Charges.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 51015 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Wed Dec 21 15:38:44 2011 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Bob Estabrook) Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:38:44 -0800 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: New Year Brings Changes in Employment Laws Message-ID: <4EF1FD84.919A.00CA.0@boli.state.or.us> Press Release For Immediate Distribution December 21, 2011 CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 New Year Brings Changes in Employment Laws New minimum wage also begins Jan. 1 PORTLAND ? A new grant fund to support career and technical education (CTE) in Oregon schools headlines a number of changes to the labor and employment landscape of the state that take effect on January 1, according to summary materials released by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of BOLI, highlighted some of the changes: The establishment of the Career and Technical Education Revitalization Grant Fund represents a huge victory for Oregon?s economy. Even more immediately, we?ll see the impact of important legislation strengthening our veterans? preference and uniformed service protections, ensuring protected leave for jury service and victims of harassment, and empowering BOLI to help workers recover damages when their paychecks bounce. Workers can contact BOLI?s Civil Rights and Wage and Hour Divisions to get answers to their questions, while the Technical Assistance for Employers Program can assist any Oregon employers with their questions. Oregon?s minimum wage rate is also changing, increasing to $8.80 per hour starting January 1. Employers can obtain the required minimum wage posters FOR FREE, in both English and Spanish, on BOLI?s website. Avakian?s highlights include: HB 3362 ? promoting statewide cooperation for CTE programs and establishing a grant fund SB 277 ? guaranteeing veterans? preference points in promotions as well as initial hiring HB 2241 - ensuring that Oregon employment law protects all uniformed service members HB 2828 and 3034 ? protecting employees? insurance and leave benefits during jury service HB 3482 ? adding victims of harassment to employment protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking HB 2039 ? allowing employee to recover damages through BOLI for receiving ?bounced? paychecks Additional information about specific bills and a comprehensive list of employment-related laws enacted by the Oregon legislature in 2011 can be found in BOLI?s online summaries. BOLI tracks employment-related law changes as a function of its Technical Assistance for Employers Program (TA), which is the state?s primary education and information resource for employers. TA helps employers to comply with civil rights and employment laws and prevent unnecessary worker complaints through both free and low-cost resources available online, by phone (971-673-0824) and at public and private training seminars. ###### The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 7303 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 12.21.11_BOLI_Release_-_New_Year_New_Laws.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 51825 bytes Desc: not available URL: