By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Western’s students may see an increase in pay with the 2017-18 school year after the Oregon House of Representatives passed legislation to increase the state’s minimum wage through 2022. After deliberations were halted by demonstrators in February 2016, the proposal went through with a total vote of 32-26. Although the minimum wage is increasing statewide, there are some caveats within the increase.

Based on the county, citizens across the state will see a variance in proposed rates. According to the Oregon Bureau of Labor Statistics, residents of the Portland Metro Area will see their wages go up to $11.25, while non urban residents will have an increase to $10. The state standard will be at $10.25 an hour; Polk county being within the range of standard counties.

The wage increase came after a turbulent campaign during 2016 in the “Fight for $15” movement. The movement proposed to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in order to support the cost of living after wages remained stagnant as the national cost of living increased with inflation. Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 1532, the bill set to increase the state’s minimum wage, in February of 2016, reported The Oregonian. “I started this conversation last fall, bringing stakeholders together to craft a workable proposal,” said Brown of the bill, “I look forward to signing this bill.”

While wages will increase steadily until 2022, some are worried of what may come with the wage increases. For public universities, such as Western, many student workers are not under federally funded work-study jobs, and those workers will be entitled to almost $450,000 through 2019, per the Oregonian. While students are gearing up to make more money through higher wages, public universities are looking to compensate for lost revenue. Public universities are believing it will come in the form of tuition increases. In the case of University of Oregon, they will see a 4.8% tuition increase for in-state students according to OregonLive.

As students are gaining more in wages, employers and universities face a number of decisions to compensate for revenue. Some opponents fear it will result in lost jobs, such as House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R- Powell Butte. As The Oregonian was reporting during the debate, McLane argued with Democrats during the deliberations, “Do you believe that no one will be laid off? Seriously? We’ve got to look you in the eye and we’ve got to ask — do you really believe that no one will lose a job? Do you believe prices will not go up?” As speculation occurs, the bill will remain in effect, and students can expect to see a steady increase through 2022.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu