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> By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune September 14. 2014 2:00AM Coalition seeks minimum wage boost in Oregon The Fair Shot Oregon coalition is advocating for a minimum wage increase and sick pay for all workers. The Fair Shot Oregon coalition has launched a campaign to advocate for a higher state minimum wage and paid sick days for all workers. The group of family, education, labor and women's groups is holding four campaign launch events across the state on Tuesday, including a 10 a.m. gathering at the Medford library, 205 S. Central Ave. Fair Shot Oregon advocates said workplace regulations are outdated and don't meet the needs of women and families. They have created a spoof video ad in which an 1800s aristocratic man pontificates about "a woman's place" as he follows a woman around while she works and cares for her family. Most families with children now have two working adults or are headed by a single working parent, the coalition said. "Our public policies are out of sync with how people really live," said Andrea Paluso, executive director of Portland and Eugene-based coalition member Family Forward Action. "They're based on the idea that someone is home full-time taking care of the kids. It's hard to keep your job and take care of your kids when they get the flu but you don't have paid sick time." Paluso said Eugene and Portland have already passed sick time laws. In other communities, workers without paid sick time must make difficult choices. Either they go to work sick, or they don't earn money they need to pay their bills and put food on the table, she said. "If they don't have access to sick time, they work sick. If they don't have access to sick time, they send their kids to school sick," Paluso said. The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association opposed Eugene's adoption of paid sick time rules, saying among other things that it did not want to see a collection of various rules established by local jurisdictions. Passed this summer, Eugene's new law goes into effect on July 1, 2015, according to the city of Eugene. The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association said shift-trading should be allowed as an alternative to paid sick time. Eugene allows shift-trading if the employee and employer mutually agree to the practice as a substitute for paid sick time. However, the employer may not require employees to find a replacement to cover a shift as a condition for using sick time. Employees also cannot be required to work make-up shifts for using their accrued sick time, according to the city of Eugene. Employees who have worked for an employer for 90 days become eligible to accrue paid sick time at a rate of one hour per 30 hours worked. Employers must allow workers to accrue a minimum of 40 hours of sick leave per year, according to the city of Eugene. Workers can use the sick time to deal with their own mental or physical illness, or that of a family member. Sick time can also be used to address issues caused by domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, under the Eugene law. Fair Shot Oregon is also advocating for an increase to Oregon's minimum wage, which currently stands at $9.10 per hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Workers who earn more are able to buy more goods and services, boosting local economies and the ability of businesses to pay living wages, Paluso said. But the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association contends higher minimum wages lead to higher unemployment and price inflation. The association noted Oregon has one of the highest minimum wages in the nation and also has an unemployment rate above the national average. Oregon's $9.10 rate trails only the $9.32 minimum wage in Washington state. The association wants Oregon to stop tying its minimum wage to inflation, which leads to annual increases, or to at least factor in unemployment rates when considering increases. Oregon's minimum wage doesn't take into account that many minimum wage workers are young, entry-level employees who still live at home and may earn tips that boost their pay well above minimum wage, the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association said. Fair Shot Oregon argues that minimum wage workers are increasingly adults, many of whom are women trying to support themselves and their children. In addition to Family Forward Action, Fair Shot Oregon founding coalition members are Oregon Action, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, Mother Political Action Committee, the Oregon Education Association and the Service Employees International Union. For more information about Fair Shot Oregon, visit www.fairshotoregon.org/. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20140914/NEWS/140919846 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->