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Adam Wilson expounds on Washington state government, workers and politics. Wilson began covering those issues for the Olympian in 2004. He can be reached at: awilson@theolympian.com.
'Living wage' for state workers
Over the weekend the largest state workers union in Oregon won a contract that will eliminate some of the lowest pay scales for employees. The union says its part of the ‘living wage’ movement, a version of minimum wage that says you have to be able to support yourself entirely with what you make.
The contract with Service Employees International Union Local 503 means that the lowest possible hourly wage for state or university workers will be $10.71, more than a $2-an-hour raise, according to the Associated Press:
Michael Ellis, a carpenter at Portland State University and chairman of SEIU’s bargaining team, said the union patterned its demands after the national living-wage movement, which has made inroads at more than 140 cities and counties since 1994.
‘‘It’s just foolish for us as a state or a nation to pay people so little that they need to use government services to support themselves,’’ Ellis said.
The state merely agreed to a two-year deal but is not establishing a new social policy, said Sue Wilson, who oversees labor negotiations for the state. The Oregon agreement won’t affect government contractors, though the union got tougher preconditions before the state can farm out public services to private companies.
Only 76 state workers fall into the lowest pay bracket, according to the article.
Interestingly, the article also lists Oregon’s minimum wage as the nation’s highest at $7.80 an hour. Washington’s is $7.93.
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