By: Jenna Beresheim News Editor
Oregon legislators have approved Senate Bill 1532, which will allow the state’s minimum wage to reach $15 by 2022.
Western Oregon University may be affected by this bill, especially those student workers who are employed on-campus.
“Based on my early calculations, I believe it [Senate Bill 1532] could add up to 3-5% on student employee costs next fiscal year in my area,” stated Patrick Moser, the Director for Student Leadership and Activities.
“How that affects student employment in my department is highly dependent on how the Incidental Fee Committee chooses to address the budget issues of minimum wage increases,” Moser continued.
Moser also reported that, as far as campus budget impact, the Business office is already starting to study the issue at hand and how best to handle the situation.
“We are still in the middle of our budget process and determining all of the information,” commented Brandon Neish, the manager for the Budget Office.
This change in minimum wage could affect how many available job positions occur on campus, as it may prove more difficult to support as many workers at such a large increase in paycheck per person.
For students, more money in less time worked could prove to be a very appealing incentive. Although, at the same time, it could also result in cuts to student jobs, even current ones, in order to have certain student-run positions remain afloat.
After nearly four hours of heated debate, the bill cleared the Senate with a vote of 32-26. While just outside, demonstrators barricaded lawmakers within the House chamber, pounding on the walls and chanting.
According to The Oregonian, the bill would give pay increases to more than 100,000 workers, with some receiving nearly $6 more an hour.
The plan would take an estimated six years, starting the wage raise in July this year to $9.50-9.75 and ending in 2022 with ranges of wage depending on location. Portland’s urban growth boundary would see $14.75, midsize counties would reach $13.25, and “frontier” areas would expect $12.50 per hour.
The Coalition to Defend Oregon Jobs includes a wide range of individuals who fought against Senate Bill 1532.
“A massive wage hike kills small business jobs and forces schools and local governments to cut services or raise property taxes,” the Defend Oregon Jobs website proclaims. “Fixed-income seniors, working families, and college students will feel the sting.”
Contact the author at jberesheim11@wou.edu or on Twitter @WOUjournalnews
