Oregon 1st State to Make Labor Day Holiday!

In 1887, Oregon was the first state to honor workers by making Labor Day a state holiday. Today Oregon enjoys the highest ranking from OXFAM America for being the best state to work in. However, there is work that still needs to be done.

Unfortunately, not all Oregon workers benefit from the state’s ranking. The one area where Oregon does not get the highest marks is wages. That would not surprise many workers in HD 2, like me, who struggle to keep a roof over our heads and pay for other basics.

This may be why we are seeing a resurgence in union activity in our state. When state protections are not enough, workers must have the right to organize for better wages and working conditions.

I will work in Salem to make sure all workers can meet their basic needs, like housing and health care. We all need living wage jobs, good benefits, and worker protections.

Thank you and Happy Labor Day!

Kevin Bell

Best and Worst States to Work in America - 2021 | Oxfam

https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/countries/united-states/poverty-in-the-us/map-best-states-to-work-2021/

Some labor history:

https://www.history.com/news/strikes-labor-movement?cmpid=email-hist-inside-history-onequestion-2022-0902-09022022&om_rid=ecc69b3578f5fc72b67c17bdf14f5a0c6eab00c19e400fd13b30a4976004de01