skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Workers' Advocates Urge Ore. Lawmakers to Tackle Wage Theft

play audio
Play

Wednesday, February 15, 2017   

SALEM, Ore. – Claims from wage violations over the past decade in Oregon total at least $45 million, and that could just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of stolen wages.

Kate Suisman, coordinator of campaigns and alliances for the Northwest Workers' Justice Project, says wage theft is much more widespread than the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries numbers suggest.

Workers often fear retaliation for reporting that they weren't paid. Suisman hopes House Bill 2181 will provide them some protections from retaliation.

"If an employee makes a wage claim and then, within 90 days, something bad happens to them at work, there's a presumption that it was retaliatory for the wage claim," she said.

She says employers would be able to rebuke this claim. A second part of the bill would give workers the option of receiving a reason in writing for being terminated.

Suisman says this would provide documentation so that employers couldn't change their story in the event of legal or administrative action.

Two other bills in the Oregon Legislature also target wage theft.

House Bill 2169 would limit attorney fees for employees in cases where a wage violation is proven. And House Bill 2180 would allow the state to put a lien on employers' real and personal property for unpaid wages.

Suisman says this measure has gotten pushback from the business community for being too hard on employers - although it's modeled after a Wisconsin law.

"The Wisconsin law has been there for decades, and it's not been so onerous on employers," she added. "It's just given workers that right to actually collect money that they're owed."

Wage theft takes many forms, from stolen tips and unpaid overtime, to refusing to allow breaks or misclassifying workers as independent contractors to get out of providing benefits.

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries found in the most recent 12-month period, transportation workers filed the most claims, followed by construction and restaurant and bar workers.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021