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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 11, 2003 Living wage advocates re-energize By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune New life has been breathed into Medford’s living wage ordinance movement following the release of a national study on Wednesday. The Rogue Valley office of Oregon Action is enthused about a study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. It reports cities that have adopted a living wage ordinance have less impact to their budgets than anticipated, and that employee turnover decreases, creating a more efficient and stable work force. Oregon Action, a grassroots citizen action organization that works on social and economic issues, has been seeking petition signatures for an initiative that would create an $11.50 minimum wage for city employees, city contracts and employees subsidized by the city. Oregon Action estimates 100 to 150 employees would be affected. Rich Rohde of Rogue Valley Oregon Action said the report is pretty significant "as far as reducing the fears in the city that it (a living wage ordinance) is a budget buster." Advertisement Rohde said the report shows that for most of the 102 cities that have adopted living wage policies, contract costs increased by less than 0.1 percent, and that in many cases, contracting employers were reported to have absorbed much or all of the additional labor costs. Brad Hicks, chief executive officer of the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County hopes Medford does not adopt the wage. "The Chamber is fundamentally opposed to it," he said. "(We’re) just opposed to the idea of basing wage rates on some definition of needs instead of skill level," he said. City Councilman Sal Esquivel had similar concerns. "When I was growing up the minimum wage was a standard I didn’t want to stay on," he said. He said with Oregon’s minimum wage at $6.90, it’s already significantly higher than the federal minimum wage of $5.15. But Chris Lachner, co-chairman of Rogue Valley Oregon Action, said this study shows there are benefits to a living wage because it keeps people from being subsidized by taxes. "It shows that (there are benefits of) paying people living-wage jobs so that they are contributing tax dollars instead of using tax dollars," she said. The Medford City Council voted down the ordinance in August 2002, so Oregon Action is taking the matter to residents. The organization filed a ballot initiative in September 2002, and has fewer than 1,000 signatures, according to Rohde. He said the group is trying to get the measure on the November 2004 ballot. Organizers need 3,600 signatures by the end of May, according to City Recorder Beverly Sandblast. Rohde said the city could set an example that other employers could follow. "It’s a wage that would get a family out of poverty," said Rohde. Oregon Action also plans to take the matter to Jackson County commissioners. "This debate’s going to be going back and forth for a long time," said Lachner. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times