From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Thu Sep 15 09:02:22 2011 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Bob Estabrook) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:02:22 -0700 Subject: NEWS RELEASE - BOLI Announces 2012 Minimum Wage Message-ID: <4E71BF1D.919A.00CA.0@boli.state.or.us> Press Release For Immediate Distribution September 15, 2011 CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 BOLI Announces 2012 Minimum Wage New rate of $8.80 per hour takes effect on January 1 PORTLAND- State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced today that Oregon?s minimum wage will rise to $8.80 per hour next year. The 30-cent increase mirrors a 3.77% increase in the Consumer Price Index since August 2010. Oregon?s minimum wage rate remains $8.50 per hour for all hours worked in 2011. Washington, where the minimum wage is currently $8.67 per hour, will announce its 2012 minimum wage on September 30th. ?Safeguarding the wages of low-income workers is especially critical in a tough economy," Avakian said. "Oregon?s economy will not rebound if we allow 144,538 minimum wage earners to fall behind inflation.? Ballot Measure 25, enacted by Oregon voters in 2002, requires a minimum wage adjustment annually based on changes in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is directed to adjust the minimum wage for inflation every September, rounded to the nearest five cents. (Read the statute detailing the adjustment, ORS 653.025, here.) ?During my tenure, BOLI has fought to return nearly $12 million to Oregonians unfairly denied their wages or faced with discrimination,? Avakian continued. ?Thousands of Oregon families are fighting to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads by working full-time at minimum wage jobs and this agency is committed to defending their wages.? Oregon is one of ten states, with Washington, Vermont, Ohio, Nevada, Montana, Missouri, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona, that annually adjusts the minimum wage based on inflation and the CPI. The CPI, published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a measure of the average change in prices over time for a fixed ?market basket? of goods and services, such as food, shelter, medical care, transportation fares and other goods and services people purchase for day-to-day living. ?Oregonians recognize the rising cost of living facing every one of us, and our strong minimum wage law is essential insurance that Oregon workers and their families can maintain their purchasing power and continue to contribute to our local economies,? said Avakian. ?At the same time, although five out of six Oregon employers don?t offer minimum wage jobs, I know that it?s important to continue my dialogue with the businesses, many of them small operations, that do. Understanding their challenges will benefit our entire economy.? Revised minimum wage posters reflecting the new rate will be available for free download from BOLI?s website in December. That site, which includes additional information about all of BOLI?s activities, is http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI. ###### 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: 09.15.11 BOLI Release - 2012 Minimum Wage.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 51564 bytes Desc: not available URL: From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Thu Sep 22 16:53:09 2011 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Bob Estabrook) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:53:09 -0700 Subject: NEWS RELEASE - CTE Grant Committee to Begin Work References: <4E788E90020000CA0002E808@mail.boli.state.or.us> <4E7B67F5020000CA0002E960@mail.boli.state.or.us> Message-ID: <4E7B67F3.C58F.00CA.0@boli.state.or.us> Press Release For Immediate Distribution September 22, 2011 CONTACTS: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 Crystal Greene, 503-947-5650 CTE Grant Committee to Begin Its Work First awards from new grant fund to be made this spring PORTLAND- State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo today announced their appointees and co-chairs of the Career and Technical Education Revitalization Advisory Committee (CTERAC), the key voices who will help them administer the $2 million dedicated to CTE restoration by the Oregon legislature earlier this year ( http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/docs/06.17.11_BOLI_Release_-_CTE_Win.pdf ). CTERAC holds its first public meeting, concentrating on organizational matters, on Thursday, September 29, 2011, from 9am to 3pm in Room 243 of the State Capitol. The 12 members of CTERAC, appointed jointly by Avakian and Castillo, are drawn from the Oregon Legislature, organized labor, the business community and trade organizations, and education professionals from various backgrounds. They include: Jon Chandler of the Oregon Homebuilders Association, CTERAC Co-Chair Ginger Redlinger of Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences, CTERAC Co-Chair Andrew Beyer of Lease Crutcher Lewis Barbara Byrd of the Oregon AFL-CIO Colin Cameron of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators Rep. Kevin Cameron, Ore. House Republican Leader Sen. Diane Rosenbaum, Ore. Senate Majority Leader Mark Elston of Hampton Lumber Penny Grotting of Malheur Education Service District Brian Krieg of the Sheet Metal Contractors Association John Mohlis of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council Duella Scott-Hull, retired Coos Bay School District educator ?This is an exciting time for career and technical education in Oregon,? Avakian said. ?We have work to do, thanks to years of disinvestment in CTE, but we have a concrete plan to get on the right track: maximizing the return on public dollars through partnerships with labor and industry, drawing on existing models of success and establishing a framework to bring high-quality CTE options that teach emerging or in-demand job skills to every student in Oregon.? ?The members of the CTE committee bring a tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge and experience to this project,? Castillo said. ?I thank all of them for their past contributions to CTE in Oregon and look forward to the impact that they will have in building a strong foundation for future generations of Oregon students and workers.? CTERAC, administered by the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon?s Bureau of Labor and Industries, will award grants to successful applicants in spring 2012, with funds to be disbursed for the 2012-13 school year. Committee members will advise the Labor Commissioner and Superintendent on rules and policy regarding the grant application process and award criteria. Oregonians interested in following the committee?s work, which is open to the public, can join the secure ?CTE Grants? email list at http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/ctegrants. ###### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: