Oregon
Oregon labor regulators ask for lawmakers’ help to tackle backlog
When Christina Stephenson was elected Oregon’s labor commissioner in 2022, she stressed the importance of resolving the backlog of wage and civil rights claims as soon as possible.
“Especially a person who has had their wages stolen, getting them the money that they are owed could be the difference between them making rent, being able to pay for groceries,” Stephenson said in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. “So of course, it is a top concern for us to get these cases through as fast as we possibly can.”
At the time, there were more than 5,000 wage claims and nearly 2,000 civil rights claims waiting to be investigated.
Today, that number has dwindled to around 3,000 wage claims and nearly 1,300 civil rights claims. But Stephenson is asking lawmakers this session for more funding to support the agency’s efforts. Workers sometimes wait a year or more to get justice after experiencing discrimination or having their wages stolen. And a majority of employers don’t even wind up paying what they owe, as InvestigateWest revealed in a recent analysis of wage claim data, which Stephenson cited in a presentation this month to lawmakers.
“This is obviously not what we want,” Stephenson said. “It gives a competitive advantage to employers that don’t play by the rules. This is millions of dollars that aren’t getting back into our economy.”
Officials cite a large uptick in claims filed over the last few years and an outdated system for managing cases as main factors in the civil rights and wage claim backlogs. The pandemic also prevented other labor bureau staff from conducting in-person reviews of Oregon’s apprenticeship programs, as required by federal and state law, to ensure they’re meeting quality standards in training and instruction. Today, 98% of apprenticeships in trades such as electrical and plumbing are overdue for a review.
The Bureau of Labor and Industries is requesting two budget adjustments in the upcoming session to help.
The first request would spend $632,000 of the agency’s unused pandemic relief money on nine temporary positions in the apprenticeship review division. The bureau estimates that it can review 85 apprenticeship programs in eight months with the extra personnel in place. That would be about half of the reviews that are outstanding.
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Legislature’s appropriations committee approved the labor bureau’s request, increasing its chances of being included in the budget reconciliation.
In addition, the Bureau of Labor and Industries is requesting $160,500 in new funds, which it will combine with $87,500 it already has, to take the first step to replace what agency leaders say is an outdated and inefficient computer system used to track and manage cases. The current system “requires extensive manual data entry, and lacks automation leading to increased workload and errors,” said Rachel Mann, a bureau spokesperson.
The agency has already tried to make parts of its process more efficient to reduce the logjam. In January, the labor bureau changed the online portal that workers use to file civil rights and wage complaints. The new system will help ensure that claims don’t get bogged down because of missing information, Mann said.
The agency has also sought more staff — most recently, the Legislature funded two additional investigators in the wage division.
“The agency is laser focused on increased investments to reduce wait times and provide Oregonians with faster and better service,” Mann said.
But in the long term, Stephenson and legislators agree that funding positions alone isn’t enough to solve the staffing capacity issues. Bureau workers also need to be paid better, they said, to help with retention and recruitment.
A recent study of the civil rights division showed that labor bureau investigators earned anywhere from 16% to 64% less than employees in comparable positions at other state agencies — and the agency’s work is suffering as a result.
“I do think that this has been the way it’s been done for a long time, and so it just requires us to rethink what we’re asking of each of these individuals,” Stephenson said. “If you’re staring down a 3,000 (case) backlog, that’s a difficult place to be when you’re not making much more than you could at Target.”
Legislators have indicated that they’re prepared to help out. Several lawmakers who listened to Stephenson’s pre-session presentations said they agreed that compensation is an important consideration in the effort to reduce backlogs.
“We’ve got a problem area that needs some addressment if we want to deal with this troubling backlog,” said Rep. David Gomberg, D-Central Coast.
Stephenson said the agency will continue to seek ways to work more efficiently aside from adding staff.
“We will persist,” she said.
— Kaylee Tornay, InvestigateWest
InvestigateWest is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. Reach reporter Kaylee Tornay at kaylee@invw.org.
Oregon
Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon under a high wind watch Monday and Tuesday
The National Weather Service issued a high wind watch at 9:29 p.m. on Sunday valid from Monday 4 p.m. until Tuesday 10 a.m. for Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon.
The weather service states, “Southeast winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts of 45 to 65 mph possible for the base of the northern Blue Mountains of Oregon.”
“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” describes the weather service. “Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates.”
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
No. 1 Oregon will face No. 8 Ohio State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
With the rematch officially set, we’re taking a look back at the path the Ducks (13-0) took to reach the CFP as the top seed.
The season began with a clunky 24-14 win over Idaho. The right side of the offensive line was responsible for multiple penalties and three sacks to an FCS opponent that made for an unnecessarily difficult opener, even as Dillon Gabriel threw for 380 yards with two touchdowns to Tez Johnson.
Special teams rescued the Ducks in a 37-34 comeback over Boise State. Ashton Jeanty had 192 yards and three touchdowns to legitimize his Heisman candidacy. An 85-yard punt return touchdown by Johnson and a 100-yard kickoff return by Noah Whittington and recovery in the end zone by Jayden Limar erased a fourth quarter deficit. The offensive line made constant changes while allowing four sacks and committing five penalties in the unit’s most disjointed performance in years.
The early issues up front were gone as Iapani Laloulu took over at center in a 49-14 plastering of Oregon State. Gabriel threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as the offense gained 546 yards with 10 plays of 20-plus. The defense shutdown the Beavers ground game in the second half and UO secured its first win in Corvallis since 2018.
Following its first bye week of the season, Oregon officially opened Big Ten play at UCLA with a 34-13 rout at the Rose Bowl. A 28-3 lead was more than enough for the Ducks to coast and they held the Bruins to just 47 rushing yards.
Jordan James and Jordan Burch took center stage in a 31-10 Friday night drubbing of Michigan State at Autzen Stadium. James had 166 yards and a touchdown and Burch had 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. Two red zone interceptions by Gabriel made things briefly more competitive but the Ducks pulled away to setup a clash of undefeated titans.
The Oct. 12 game with Ohio State lived up to the billing as the top game of the season. There were seven lead changes in the 32-31 Ducks win over the Buckeyes, who were driving in the closing seconds and Will Howard slid at the UO 26 with time expiring. A deliberate 12 men on the field penalty by Oregon led to an in-season rules interpretation by the NCAA and provided further evidence of Dan Lanning’s preparation relative to Ryan Day. Even without Burch, who suffered a knee injury two days before the game, the Ducks were able to generate some pressure on Howard.
A Friday night trip to West Lafayette, Ind. will be remembered as Oregon’s first shutout since 2012. Purdue was hapless, throwing for less than 100 yards. Even with Traeshon Holden suspended and Terrance Ferguson out following an appendectomy, the Ducks were vastly better in every facet.
A 38-9 blowout of Illinois was filled with physicality in all phases. The defense had seven tackles for loss with three sacks, two interceptions and eight pass breakups to help build a 35-3 halftime lead.
Ferguson and Burch returned in a 38-17 beat down of Michigan at the Big House. The Ducks also suffered injuries to Johnson and Marcus Harper II but still managed to gain 470 yards and did not allow a sack against one of the best defensive lines in college football.
Gabriel broke the NCAA career touchdown record in a 39-18 win over Maryland. A season-high 12 penalties, particularly a couple of pass interference calls in the end zone, made the game more competitive than it truly was and Burch sprained his ankle.
Another fourth quarter comeback was required to escape Wisconsin with a 16-13 win. Gabriel found Ferguson on fourth and nine to open the fourth quarter and the defense closed it out with back-to-back three-and-outs, a fourth down stop and interception by Matayo Uiagalelei to cap an eighth straight conference win in as many weeks.
The second bye week allowed for Johnson to return for a 49-21 rout of Washington to cap a 12-0 regular season with Dan Lanning’s first win in the rivalry. Burch had 2.5 of Oregon’s 10 sacks and Uiagalelei had two. The Huskies ran for just 43 yards and could not stretch the field vertically.
A battle of top 10 defenses instead was a shootout in the Big Ten championship game, which Oregon won over Penn State 45-37 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Gabriel threw four touchdowns, with three going to tight ends, and the defense had two interceptions to help secure the conference title, No. 1 seed in the CFP and Rose Bowl berth.
CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl
- Who: No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (11-2)
- When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Time: 2 p.m. PT
- Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- TV channel: ESPN
- Stream: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or by signing up for Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on Watch ESPN with your cable or satellite provider login information.
- Oregon Ducks football 2024 season schedule, scores
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— James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.
The Oregon Ducks will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The Buckeyes handled business in the first round of the College Football Playoff and will now face the Ducks in the quarterfinals. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT on New Year’s Day.
What do the Vegas oddsmakers say about the upcoming matchup between Oregon and Ohio State?
The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes will play in the Rose Bowl for a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Buckeyes are coming off a 42-17 dismantling of the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the CFP. That performance was enough for Ohio State to now be a slight favorite over the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks.
It’s nearly a pick ‘em, but Ohio State is a one-point favorite as of now. The over/under is set at 53.5 points.
The odds makers have loved the Buckeyes all season, and they still do. Not only is Ohio State a slight favorite over Oregon, they also have better odds to win the national championship.
Texas is the overall favorite to win the national championship with odds of +340. Ohio State has the second best odds of +380. Oregon is third with odds of +400.
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Oregon and Ohio State treated the country to one of the best games of the 2024 regular season when they played in October. The Ducks outlasted the Buckeyes in a 32-31 thriller at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
The Ducks were underdogs in that game too, but prevailed and won outright. Now, the two will play against each other in the “Granddaddy of Them All” in the Rose Bowl. The winner will play the winner of the Texas-Arizona State game in the semi-finals.
What are the other games in the quarterfinal slate?
The quarterfinals in the College Football Playoff will kick off when No. 3 Boise State plays No. 6 Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl at 4:30 p.m. PT on Dec. 31.
The New Year will start off with No. 5 Texas and No. 4 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl at 10 a.m. PT on Jan. 1.
Following the Rose Bowl between Oregon and Ohio State to finish off the quarterfinals is No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl at 5:45 p.m. PT on New Year’s Day.
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