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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><img width="185" height="60" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.gif@01D092FF.88164120"></span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>May 20, 2015<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788 wk. or (503) 913-5407 mobile
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black">Oregon Paycheck Fairness Act (HB 2007) passes key committee<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="color:black">Labor Commissioner Avakian praises equal pay effort that increases workplace transparency<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Portland, OR—Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian today issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Workforce passed
<a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Measures/Overview/HB2007">HB 2007</a>, an equal pay measure that prohibits retaliation against workers who discuss salary information with colleagues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="color:black">“Oregon’s pay gap doesn’t just hurt women and people of color, it hurts everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="color:black">By creating greater pay transparency, we can protect employees from retaliation and take an important step in the fight for equal pay. This measure advances employment opportunities
for women and people of color in the workplace. That’s good for individual workers, but also communities around the state.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="color:black">I appreciate the hard work of supporters, coalition members and legislators in helping move this common sense measure forward.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Senate Majority Leader Diane Rosenbaum will carry the measure on the floor. The measure previously passed the House 34-24 after being championed by Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson and carried on the floor by Rep. Shemia
Fagan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">A 2014 report by the Oregon Council on Civil Rights,
<i><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/boli/docs/Pay%20Inequality%20Oregon%20012314-Final.pdf">Pay Inequality in Oregon</a></i>, recommended the measure as part of the larger effort to strengthen protections against pay discrimination. Organizations and individuals
such as Family Forward Oregon, Lilly Ledbetter, AAUW and the Oregon Council on Civil Rights support the measure. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">For more information about BOLI’s efforts to support Oregon employers and protect Oregon’s workforce, visit
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI">http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI</a><span style="color:black">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Charlie Burr<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Communications Director<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland, Oregon 97232<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tel: 971-673-0788<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cell: 503-913-5407<o:p></o:p></p>
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