NWJP and the Oregon Coalition to Stop Wage Theft: 2011 Legislative Agenda
The Oregon Coalition to Stop Wage Theft was formed in 2010 by NWJP and other worker advocacy organizations to combat the ongoing crisis of wage theft in Oregon.
The fact is that employment laws are failing to protect all of Oregon's workers. While a majority of Oregon employers follow the laws, some are cutting costs in ways that hurt Oregon workers and the businesses that are competing with them. Many workers can no longer assume that they will get paid for all of the hours they've worked - or that they'll get paid at all. This widespread and illegal practice of not paying workers for some or all of their work is known as "wage theft."
When employers steal wages and benefits it affects everyone - the workers who don't get paid, other workers whose standards are undermined, honest employers who have to compete with scofflaws, communities robbed of local spending, and taxpayers who have to make up for the taxes that can't be collected on unpaid wages.
It is no accident that wage theft is becoming increasingly common. Over the last three decades, a significant percentage of full-time jobs have disappeared. Employers are relying increasingly on "contingent" labor - labor that is contracted, temporary, or part-time. It is easier for employers to exploit workers in these less formal employment relationships, and it is often unclear who is liable for the exploitation that results.
NWJP and the Oregon Coalition to Stop Wage Theft continue to promote a package of state bills to provide workers with adequate tools to recover unpaid wages and to prevent abusive employers from stealing the wages their workers have earned.
You can view a summary of the bills from Oregon's 2011 legislative session, or read the text of each bill individually.
The Oregon Coalition to Stop Wage Theft includes the following members: Northwest Workers' Justice Project (NWJP), PCUN, Rural Organizing Project (ROP), Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP), VOZ Workers' Rights Education Project, Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA), CAUSA, Portland Jobs with Justice, Economic Fairness Oregon, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), SEIU Local 49, SEIU Local 503, Oregon AFL-CIO, Oregon New Sanctuary Movement, American Friends Service Committee, Oregon Thrives, Human Dignity Advocates of Crook County, Common Cause Oregon, and growing.
If you would like to become a coalition member and/or endorse our 2011 legislation, please contact Michael Dale, NWJP's Executive Director, at michael@nwjp.org or (503) 525-8454.
For legislative questions, contact Genice Rabe, Legislative Counsel, Northwest Workers' Justice Project, at (503) 269-3360 or genice@nwjp.org.
Find us on Facebook to learn more about the Coalition and its supporters.