To: The Oregon State House, The Oregon State Senate, and Governor Kate Brown

Raise Oregon's Minimum Wage to $15 Now

We demand that Oregon's minimum wage be increased to a living wage of $15/hr.

Why is this important?

State Senator Diane Rosenbaum and Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian met recently with some unions and nonprofit organizations in Portland to strategize about getting the minimum wage raised by Oregon's legislature. The Legislative Director of the Oregon AFL-CIO, Elana Guiney, stated that “the minimum wage is never going to be a living wage,” and suggested the state legislature should raise the minimum wage to more than $10.10, but less than $15 (http://nwlaborpress.org/2014/08/will-minimum-wage-movement-come-oregon).

Unfortunately, rent in Portland and other parts of Oregon are increasing at more than three times the national rate of inflation. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's "Out of Reach" report, in 2013, single parents in Oregon needed to work 72 hours per week at minimum wage, or make at least $16.38/hr at 40 hours per week in order to afford adequate housing for them and their children. Clearly $10.10, $12, or even $13/hr is not enough. Oregon needs $15 NOW!