LET’S VALUE ESSENTIAL WORK FAIRLY.
Whether caring for our elders or growing our food, Oregon's essential workers help communities thrive. When workers and employers unite to set industry standards, we create more stable, innovative, and equitable industries that benefit everyone, especially those excluded from basic labor protections.
Right now in Oregon, two essential workforces face critical challenges that hurt us all:
Over 72,000 Oregon farmworkers, who put food on our tables and contribute over $6.4 billion to our state's economy, lack basic protections and earn an average of just $34,500 annually. Most farmworkers are immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America, many of whom speak an Indigenous language.
Meanwhile, care workers, who are 80% women and predominantly people of color, face severe economic hardship due to meager wages. Half of care workers must rely on public assistance, and 41% live near poverty despite many positions being funded by public dollars. While Oregon urgently needs 65,000 more care providers by 2030, current conditions make it one of the hardest positions to fill and retain workers.
FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL MODELS FROM SEATTLE, CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, AND MINNESOTA, WORKFORCE STANDARDS BOARDS WILL:
Empower Workers: Bring together workers, employers, and public representatives to set enforceable industry standards
Improve Conditions: Address unsafe workplaces and poverty wages that force half of care workers to rely on public assistance
Build Sustainable Protections: Ensure fair wages, safe conditions, and protection from retaliation
Together, we can create sustainable, thriving industries where workers are safe and treated with dignity and respect.