<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.7601.17655"></HEAD>
<BODY style="MARGIN: 4px 4px 1px; FONT: 10pt Segoe UI">
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="cid:SRBMOQXNQIMX.1.jpg"></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><A name=OLE_LINK1><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Press Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></A></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">December 21, 2011<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">New Year Brings Changes in Employment Laws<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">New minimum wage also begins Jan. 1<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">PORTLAND</SPAN></B></st1:City><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> –</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> A new grant fund to support career and technical education (CTE) in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> 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:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The establishment of the Career and Technical Education Revitalization Grant Fund represents a huge victory for <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s economy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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 <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> employers with their questions.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Oregon</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">’s minimum wage rate is also changing, increasing to $8.80 per hour starting January 1.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Employers can obtain the required minimum wage posters FOR FREE, in both English and Spanish, on <A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI"><FONT color=#0000ff>BOLI’s website</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Avakian’s highlights include:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 3362 – promoting statewide cooperation for CTE programs and establishing a grant fund<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">SB 277 – guaranteeing veterans’ preference points in promotions as well as initial hiring<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 2241 - ensuring that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> employment law protects all uniformed service members<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 2828 and 3034 – protecting employees’ insurance and leave benefits during jury service<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 3482 – adding victims of harassment to employment protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">HB 2039 – allowing employee to recover damages through BOLI for receiving “bounced” paychecks<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Additional information about specific bills and a comprehensive list of employment-related laws enacted by the <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> legislature in 2011 can be found in </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/New_Legislation.shtml"><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman">BOLI’s online summaries</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>TA helps employers to comply with civil rights and employment laws and prevent unnecessary worker complaints through both free and low-cost </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/TA"><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman">resources available online</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">, by phone (971-673-0824) and at </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/TA/T_SEM_Taseminar.shtml"><FONT face="Times New Roman">public and private training seminars</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">######<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<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>