NEWS RELEASE: BOLI announces minimum wage rulemaking process

[Burr, Charlie]

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For Immediate Release
March 18, 2016
CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 or Paloma Sparks at (971) 673-0841

BOLI announces minimum wage rulemaking process for stakeholder input
Diverse committee will advise BOLI in rulemaking regarding how to determine an employer's location

PORTLAND, OR-The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) will begin the rulemaking process for Oregon's new minimum wage law<https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016R1/Measures/Overview/SB1532> (SB 1532) in preparation for a July minimum wage increase, the agency announced today.

An advisory committee comprised of business associations, labor organizations, legislators, family policy advocates, and agricultural and farm sector representatives will assist BOLI in developing rules for determining an employer's location.

"Oregon's new minimum wage law will bring raises to hundreds of thousands of workers around the state," said Labor Commissioner Avakian. "I appreciate the willingness of this diverse committee to provide additional insight and expertise as our agency works to develop new minimum wage rules."

Passed by the 2016 Oregon Legislature, SB 1532 creates enacts a series of annual minimum wage increases starting in July of this year. After 2023, Oregon's minimum wage rate will be indexed to inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a figure published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to track prices for a fixed "market basket" of goods.

The law creates a tiered wage floor based on three zones around the state: 1) inside the urban growth boundary of the Portland metro region, including Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties 2) certain "nonurban counties listed here<https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB1532/Enrolled> and 3) the rest of the state.

The advisory committee will begin work in late March.

The rulemaking advisory committee will include members of the NW Grocery Associations, Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Association of Oregon Industries, Oregon Business Association, PCUN, AFL-CIO, Family Forward, SEIU, CAUSA and Oregon Center for Public Policy. In addition, representatives from the offices of Governor Kate Brown, Senator Michael Dembrow and Representative Paul Holvey will serve on the committee.

Employers that want to keep up to date about minimum wage rules and other workplace topics may sign up for the Technical Assistance for Employer's email list here<http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/boli-ta>. The agency also intends to develop one poster for the state that will satisfy employers' posting requirements.

Additional public comments can be directed to paloma.sparks at state.or.us.

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For more information about BOLI's efforts to support Oregon employers and protect Oregon's workforce, visit http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI.


Charlie Burr
Communications Director
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045
Portland, Oregon  97232
Tel:  971-673-0788
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