Celebrating Oregon’s Manufacturing Sector
In her September column, OBI Chair Karen Vineyard, market executive, global commercial banking for Bank of America, discusses the importance of manufacturing jobs to Oregon’s economy and the risk of losing them from the increased tax burden businesses face.
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On Sept. 20, legislators met for a special session to adopt new legislative and congressional maps for Oregon’s districts following the 2020 census. The Senate passed the Democrat proposals for both the congressional and legislative political maps, sending them over to the House to be voted on. After Speaker Kotek walked back an agreement with House Republicans for an evenly split Redistricting Committee, the newly formed committees approved the congressional map without any Republicans present and approved the legislative map over Republican leadership objections. The House was scheduled to convene the following afternoon until the Speaker announced someone who was in the building the day before tested positive for COVID-19. This delayed a scheduled floor vote until Saturday morning, just two days ahead of the Sept. 27 deadline, but House Republicans denied quorum to conduct business.
Down to the wire, House Republicans were present on Monday morning to provide quorum and vote on the proposals for fear of what the more balanced legislative maps would look like if redrawn by the Secretary of State. The newly drafted congressional map that legislators voted on was slightly improved from the version presented in the previous week, with at least one more competitive district. Ultimately both the legislative and congressional maps passed the House and Senate on party line votes. A court challenge is still possible, the deadline to file objections over the congressional map is Oct. 12 and Oct. 25 for the legislative maps.
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TOMORROW: Celebrate Manufacturing Day With OBI |
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Join OBI TOMORROW at 10 a.m. for our annual celebration of Oregon’s thriving manufacturing sector and the critical role these businesses play in our state economy and our way of life. |
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With the success of last year’s Zoom event, we’re continuing with the online format and will be taking attendees on a virtual tour of different manufacturers throughout the state. In addition to a conversation with manufacturing businesses, we will be joined by Sen. Lee Beyer (D-Springfield), Sen. Tim Knopp (R-Bend), Rep. Susan McLain (D-Hillsboro) and Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) for a legislative panel focused on policy solutions to the challenges faced by manufacturers in Oregon. |
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Thanks to our generous sponsors |
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NOW VIRTUAL: Inaugural Vision Oregon Dinner Coming Up Oct. 27 |
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In response to the ongoing pandemic and to ensure safety of all participants, OBI’s inaugural Vision Oregon Dinner (previously known as the Statesman Dinner) will now take place virtually on Oct. 27. The event time will be moved up to 4:30 p.m. For more information and to get your tickets visit our website.
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Our keynote speaker for the virtual event will be Ben Minicucci, the new CEO of Alaska Airlines. Mr. Minicucci will discuss the impacts of the pandemic on the travel industry, the ripple effect it had on businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest, and why Oregonians should be more optimistic than ever as we look toward recovery in 2022. |
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We are also thrilled to have three honorees receiving the first-ever Oregon Visionary Award – OBI’s highest honor. These Oregonians represent our state’s unlimited potential, and we are looking forward to honoring them at our biggest event of the year. |
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Alando Simpson
Portland, OR
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Bill & Karla Chambers
Corvallis, OR
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Rogue Food Unites
Southern Oregon
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Thank you to our Vision Oregon Dinner sponsors! |
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Eastern Oregon Economic Summit Postponed Until June 2022 |
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Due to the continued surge of COVID-19 cases in Oregon, the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit has been postponed to June 16-17, 2022 in Hermiston. Industry tours are scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 16, while Summit events are scheduled for Friday, June 17. Visit their website for more information: http://www.easternoregonsummit.com
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Recruiting & Retaining Diverse Talent in Oregon: OBI and Partners in Diversity Announce Free Two-Part Webinar |
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At OBI, we know that Oregon employers are constantly working to ensure their workplaces are more inclusive and welcoming of Oregonians from all backgrounds. That is why OBI and Partners in Diversity will host a practical, two-part discussion on how employers can improve their workforce diversity. The first webinar will focus on recruitment, and the second will focus on retention.
The team at Partners in Diversity will not only answer your questions, but will dive deep into a three-year research project that uncovered pathways for people of color to earn living wages and identified employer strategies to better recruit from communities of color, and another comprehensive research project that found solutions on how to retain professionals of color, tailored to the workforce in Oregon and SW Washington.
These free webinars will take place one month apart, Oct. 14, 10-11:30 a.m. and Nov. 18, 10-11:30 a.m. Please register for each webinar individually.
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Now Taking Nominations for the OBI Board |
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OBI is seeking your input on applicants to join the OBI Board of Directors. If there is someone (yourself or otherwise) you’d like to nominate please, send their name and resume to Angela Wilhelms. Duties of the board of directors include attending bimonthly meetings and providing legislative and organizational guidance for staff.
Have you joined an OBI Committee? The committees identify hot button issues to advocate on behalf of a strong and healthy business climate for Oregon. Our issue areas include Education & Workforce Development, Health Care, Tax & Fiscal Policy, Employment, Energy & Environment, Retail and Transportation. Reach out to Morgan Beltz for more information or to join a committee today.
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Employee Handbooks: What Employers Need to Know |
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Our partners at hrsimple.com are hosting a FREE webinar on October 7th at 9:00 a.m.
Top 5 reasons to attend:
- Presented by employment law attorney Emily Pontius at Fredrikson & Byron
- Direct access to attorney during live Q&A session
- Worth 1 SHRM and 1 HRCI credit
- Free with your OBI membership
- Covering critical topics such as:
- New/updated COVID-19 related policies
- Recruiting and hiring
- Wage and hour compliance
- Specific policies for a remote workforce
- Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies
- Performance evaluations and employee reviews
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New Membership Benefits Now Being Offered |
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Have you had a chance to update your organization’s contact information and check out our brand-new member benefits?
We know business is constantly evolving and we want to keep up with the changes in your organization. We want to be sure that you are maximizing your membership with us.
Please take a few moments to review your information and make any necessary updates by accessing the online Member Information Center. Login at http://obior.memberzone.com/login.
New membership benefits include:
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Member Directory - help other members find you with a listing in our Member Directory.
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Job Postings - submit your own job openings to our jobs list.
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Member-Member Offers (coming soon) - offer coupons and special deals to fellow OBI members.
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Member Events Calendar - add your events to our online event calendar displayed with quick links; use these links to share in your social media, text to mobile devices, add to your calendar, or email to others.
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Benefit Spotlight: OBI Members Save 30% on Paylocity HR and Payroll Services
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OBI is proud to partner with industry-leading human resources innovator Paylocity to provide our members an exclusive 30% discount on their services. They have the unique ability to offer OBI members everything you need in a one-stop, single database such as: benefit administration, talent management, time and labor management, applicant tracking, performance reviews, employee engagement, compliance, and more. Their open architecture platform also provides the flexibility to integrate with other third-party systems that work best for your organization. Learn more here and start saving.
“Our partnership with OBI is something that all Oregon businesses should be aware of,” said Wes Higgins, director of sales at Paylocity. “Our company provides a wide range of services – at a discounted rate – that serve nearly every sector and region of Oregon. We’re proud to support OBI’s leadership role in Oregon and foster a greater sense of community among our fellow members.”
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OBI Members Making Headlines this Month
Here are a few recent headlines from OBI members.
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Welcome to Oregon Business & Industry! |
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OBI is thrilled to welcome 17 new members that joined in August!
Congratulations and thank you to the following businesses for joining OBI; we are a stronger organization because of you.
Watch our new member video to learn more about these great companies and where they do business.
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Are you taking full advantage of your OBI membership?
Check out all of our benefit programs and start saving today!
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Oregon Business & Industry
1149 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
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