From charlie.burr at state.or.us Tue Jun 4 13:54:03 2013 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 20:54:03 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Senate passes bill to provide civil rights for unpaid intern Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA4072611772FCAF@D5DAG1A.D5.USA.NET> Press Release For Immediate Release June 4, 2013 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (503) 913-5407, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Sue Hagmeier, (503), 986-1443, Office of Rep. Lew Frederick Zach Reeves, (503) 986-1450, Office of Rep. Greg Matthews Senate passes bill to provides civil rights protection to unpaid interns ?Interns deserve equal protection under the law,? says Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian PORTLAND?Unpaid interns will enjoy new civil rights protections under a bill passed today by the Oregon Senate 30-0. House Bill 2669, co-sponsored by Rep. Lew Frederick and Rep. Greg Matthews (at the request of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian), extends workplace protections to interns who are discriminated against because of age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or other protected class. The measure does not extend the employer relationship, but does provide new protection from retaliation and hostile work environments. Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian today praised the effort to protect Oregon?s workforce. ?Interns deserve equal protection under the law,? said Avakian. ?This bill closes the intern loophole by providing important civil rights protection for those about to enter the workforce or who?ve recently changed careers. I appreciate the hard work of Representatives Frederick and Matthews making the bill a reality.? A broad coalition supports the bill, including the AARP, Urban League, Oregon Student Association, American Association of University Women, and Oregon Council on Civil Rights. ?Nobody should have to give up their rights to be treated decently and fairly in order to get the work experience they need to enter the workforce,? said Rep. Lew Frederick. ?This bill extends very basic protections to those who are in a workplace in order to learn about a job, company or industry.? The bill previously passed the House floor 59-0 and passed unanimously out of the Senate General Government Committee. HB 2669 now heads to Governor John A. Kitzhaber for signature. ?I remember clearly going through legislative orientation and being shocked to learn that unpaid interns were not covered by important civil rights protections,? said Rep. Greg Matthews. ?Today?s vote will help ensure that unpaid interns can gain valuable work experience without facing a hostile work environment.? ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From charlie.burr at state.or.us Wed Jun 26 10:07:30 2013 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:07:30 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian on DOMA ruling: Oregon controls its own destiny Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA40726117735679@D5DAG1A.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image003.png at 01CE7254.FBB53820] Press Release For Immediate Release June 26, 2013 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788, Bureau of Labor and Industries Avakian on DOMA ruling: Oregon controls its own destiny PORTLAND-Oregon Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian today praised the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act and the opportunity it presents for Oregonians: "Earlier this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned DOMA, affirming that all caring, committed couples who marry deserve equal treatment under law. Our country is changing - and the decision today represents an important step in that larger journey of understanding. Oregonians are fundamentally fair; we treat others as we want to be treated ourselves. And with today's ruling, it's clear that as a state, we control our own destiny and now have the chance to have our laws match our highest ideals. That unfinished business is strengthened by conversations taking place in living rooms and coffee shops around the state as more Oregonians open their hearts to civil marriage for all loving, same-sex couples." As labor commissioner, Brad Avakian works to ensure that all Oregonians are treated fairly, including enforcement of the landmark 2007 Oregon Equality Act, a law to protect the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender Oregonians in employment, housing and public places. As a legislator, Avakian championed the legislation and carried it on the Senate floor. BOLI protects all Oregonians from unlawful discrimination, investigating allegations of civil rights violations in workplaces, career schools, housing and public accommodations, and enforces compliance with state laws relating to wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. Earlier this year, Commissioner Avakian worked to successfully secure burial rights for the Nancy Lynchild, the spouse of Lt. Col. Linda Campbell. The couple were the first same sex couple to receive such a burial waiver from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. ### Charlie Burr Communications Director Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045 Portland, OR 97232-2180 (971) 673-0788 wk. (503) 913-5407 cell. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 7699 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: From charlie.burr at state.or.us Wed Jun 26 13:29:09 2013 From: charlie.burr at state.or.us (Burr, Charlie) Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:29:09 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian praises new worker protection against wage violations Message-ID: <6376A41CAD6C3E4F8A65385BDA4072611773582C@D5DAG1A.D5.USA.NET> [cid:image003.png at 01CE7271.322BDF50] Press Release For Immediate Release June 26, 2013 CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 Avakian praises new worker protection against wage violations "Strong wage enforcements helps workers and creates a level playing field for employers," says Avakian PORTLAND-Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian praised worker advocates and the bipartisan group of Oregon legislators who supported HB 2977B, a bill creating new tools to protect Oregon workers in the construction sector. The bill now heads to Governor John A. Kitzhaber for signature after a vote of 20-10 in the Oregon Senate. "Strong wage enforcement helps workers and ensures a level playing field for employers playing by the rules," said Commissioner Avakian. "This bill will help workers and create new accountability tools for the construction sector." Avakian noted the broad and diverse coalition of labor, faith leaders, employers and community organizations that worked to pass the measure. "Vulnerable workers deserve protection from abuses and unscrupulous employers," said Avakian. "Our agency is committed to fighting for workers while providing guidance to Oregon businesses so that they can avoid violations in the first place." Since 2008, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has recovered $20 million for workers treated unfairly. The agency can assess penalties and seek debarment of contractors who violate workers' rights. In addition, the bureau directs $785,000 from its wage security fund to employees who never receive final paychecks after businesses become insolvent or close their doors. BOLI's technical assistance program also works to help employers navigate state and federal regulations to avoid violations, responding to nearly 20,000 inquiries from businesses large and small. ### 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. Charlie Burr Communications Director Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045 Portland, OR 97232-2180 (971) 673-0788 wk. (503) 913-5407 cell. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 3388 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: