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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Press Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:date Month="5" Day="23" Year="2011">May 23, 2011</st1:date><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><A name=OLE_LINK1><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Avakian Passes Legislation to Protect Workers from NSF Paychecks<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></A></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Legislature endorses bill to help workers get the wages they’re owed<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></SPAN></P><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:City><st1:place><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black">SALEM</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:City><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> – </SPAN></B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">The Oregon State Senate today gave final approval to House Bill 2039A, State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian’s legislation to protect workers from paychecks that bounce due to non-sufficient funds (NSF).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Avakian, head of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and </SPAN><st1:State><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Oregon</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">’s Wage and Hour Division, submitted the proposal to legislators this session as he identified a shortcoming in state law that limited workers’ ability to recover losses associated with a bounced paycheck.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">“This bill means that </SPAN><st1:State><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Oregon</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> workers won’t have to get an attorney and go to court, just to recover their overdraft fees and charges that their employer forced them to incur,” </SPAN>Avakian said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“<st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> families have a reasonable expectation that on payday they’re actually going to get paid.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Employers should not be able to hand out bad checks and leave their employees holding the bag.”</FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">HB 2039A will allow the Wage and Hour Division to assess a civil penalty, equal to the existing damages for passing bad checks, as part of the regular wage claim process.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Current law requires employees to take their employer to court to recover any damages for the bad check, which are capped at $500 above the value of the check.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For most working Oregonians, like Misty Ferrier who received NSF checks while working at Gold’s Gym in Salem, the law change is a no-brainer.</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">“Bill collectors don't care that your paycheck has insufficient funds,” Ferrier said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I believe this bill is vital to holding the employer accountable as a business owner.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Employees are responsible for being at work on their scheduled days; employers are supposed to pay their employees for their time worked.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It's unfair for the employee to have to wait to be paid when they’ve done their job. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Employees should be compensated for having to deal with this—a race to the bank in hopes there will be funds available is no way to live.”</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Asked about going to court for damages, Ferrier chuckled: “Even if a lawyer would take on a case for a few hundred bucks, when was I going to find that lawyer?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have to work and take care of my family.”</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">More information about BOLI is available </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/index.shtml"><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">here</FONT></A><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>HB 2039A now goes to Governor Kitzhaber for consideration.</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">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.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P></BODY></HTML>