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Oregonians Could See Dueling Minimum Wage Hikes On The Ballot

Russel Sanders
/
Raise the Wage Oregon
Voulenteers with Raise the Wage Oregon receive training before heading out to canvass.

Low-wage workers in Washington will find out later this week how much the state minimum wage will go up next year to account for inflation.

Meanwhile, Oregon voters could see competing minimum-wage initiatives on their 2016 ballot. A group that favors a hike to $13.50 per hour kicked off their signature gathering campaign Monday.

The union-backed initiative would raise Oregon's statewide minimum wage from its current $9.25 per hour to $13.50 per hour over the next two years. A separate campaign started by Portland activists is already gathering signatures to try to force a vote on a $15 per hour minimum wage. Both campaigns can offer reasons for why their number is better. But publicly at least they are supportive of the other's efforts. Andrea Paluso is part of the group vying for $13.50 per hour.

"I think we're all trying to work toward the same solution, which is a major wage increase for Oregon's workers in 2016,” said Paluso.

Both campaigns say they would prefer that Oregon lawmakers take on the issue when they meet in February. The legislature took no action on minimum wage proposals earlier this year.

Oregon's current minimum wage is the second highest in the nation behind Washington state's. The national inflation index which determines whether Oregon's wage will increase was flat this year, meaning minimum wage workers will not see a state-mandated raise next year. Washington's minimum wage is currently $9.47 an hour.

Some cities such as Seattle and SeaTac already have a higher minimum wage. Oregon law does not allow cities and counties to set their own minimum wage.

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.