Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

  • Farwest-50th-banner-DM.com-728x90-1.jpg
  • NGW-728x90-v2.png
  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • NG-Survey-banner-728x90-1.jpg
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • Pivot Points
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Digger
You are here: Home / Oregon nursery group reacts to minimum wage hike

Oregon nursery group reacts to minimum wage hike

By Curt Kipp — Posted September 15, 2011

Oregon’s minimum wage will go up by 30 cents per hour at the end of the year, state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced today. The new amount will be $8.80 per hour, starting on Jan. 1, 2012. The hike matches a 3.77 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index since last August, as mandated by Ballot Measure 25, which Oregon voters approved in 2002.

Oregon nurseries are a traded sector providing jobs in urban and rural Oregon. Roughly three-fourths of Oregon’s nursery products are shipped out of state, pumping dollars into the state economy. Starting nursery workers typically are paid well above the Oregon minimum wage, at more than $10 per hour. Nonetheless, the wage hike may be voter approved but is certainly not wise in this econmic climate, according to Patrick Capper, director of government relations for the 1,100-member Oregon Association of Nurseries.

“We are trying to help rebuild Oregon’s economy,” he said. “A hike in the minimum wage puts upward pressure on all agricultural wages and makes it more difficult for our employers to hire workers. We need to put more Oregonians to work, not less. This won’t help.”

Capper noted that the CPI is based on economic conditions in urban areas. The automatic wage hike ignores the economic reality in rural areas, he said.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Economy, Politics, Recession, Regulations, Workforce

About Curt Kipp

Curt Kipp is the director of publications and communications at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and the editor of Digger magazine.

NURSERY NEWS

Hall of Famers give gift towards horticultural industry advocacy

Verl Holden retires from Oregon Garden Foundation Board

Fall Creek promotes Dave Daniel to general manager for U.S. and Canada

NWFCS, Farm Credit West create new association

Bailey Nurseries announces leadership transition

More Nursery News

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Secure your 2023 Farwest hotel room and save

Farwest Show to celebrate 50th anniversary in 2023

Nursery professionals connect at Farwest

These 12 products had buyers buzzing at Farwest

Nightfall Snowbell sweeps top honors in Farwest New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

From the pages of Digger

March 2023: Water Outlook 2023

February 2023: Greenhouse Issue ’23

January 2023: The Retail Issue

December 2022: Oregon is Nursery Country

November 2022: Transportation and Logistics

More issues of Digger

The Value of Membership

OAN Member Profile: Oregon Flowers Inc. 

These 12 products had buyers buzzing at Farwest

Creating the future generation of nursery leaders

More member stories

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Virtual is the new reality – for now

Trade shows in the time of COVID

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

Western Nursery & Landscape Association falls victim to pandemic

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

More articles

Nursery Guide LIVE

Nursery Guide LIVE clicks into place

Booth spaces still available for Nursery Guide LIVE March 17–18

Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace postponed due to winter storm damage

Keynote presentations at Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace provide insight on green industry trends in 2021 and beyond

More Posts from this Category

​

Updates to exisiting subscriptions can be sent to info@oan.org

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • Pivot Points
  • President’s Message

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© Copyright 2022 Oregon Association of Nurseries · Admin