Multnomah County, AFSCME Agree on $15 Minimum Wage

WWeek:

<img src="http://www.wweek.com/portland/imgs/media.images/18111/central_library.t2.jpg"/>Multnomah County and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have reached at tentative agreement raising the lowest-paid county employees pay to $15 per hour by July 2016.

The deal still needs to be approved by AFSCME members and by the five-member county commission.

Multnomah County spokesman David Austin says the agreement will affect 151 employees, nearly all of whom are classified as pages in the Multnomah County Library.

Currently, Austin says, such employees start at a pay level of just under $12 per hour. If the new contract goes into effect, that pay level would move up to $13 per hour immediately, $14 per hour on July 1, 2015 and $15 per hour on July 1, 2016.

Increasing the minimum wage has become a major political issue in Oregon and around the nation over the past year as advocacy groups and policy makers seek to address income inequality. Multnomah County is in a stronger position to take the issue on than some local governments because in 2012, voters approved a library district that established a permanent, dedicated source of funding for the library.

Oregon's $9.10 minimum wage is one of the nation's highest but advocates have pushed for higher levels. The issue minimum wage was front and center in the race for Multnomah County chair in May. Former City Commissioner Jim Francesconi earned AFSCME's endorsement in part because of his strong commitment to raising salaries for low-paid workers.

Ironically, the new agreement with AFSCME comes on the watch of the winner in that race, Deborah Kafoury, whom AFSCME did not endorse.

Austin says the county board expects to vote on the contract before year-end.

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