
Service workers keep Oregon running—preparing food, cleaning, caring for families, transporting communities, and supporting tourism—yet remain undervalued, underpaid, and underprotected.
Leisure and hospitality workers in Oregon earn an average wage of $16–$18 per hour as of 2024, which is significantly lower than the current national median hourly wage.
In Oregon, 1 in 7 leisure and hospitality jobs pay under $15/hour (2024)
MIT Living Wage: ~$22/hour for a single adult in Oregon
Unpredictable hours, last-minute cancellations, and fluctuating income make it nearly impossible to budget, secure childcare, or attend school.
Most service workers lack:
Employer-provided health insurance
Paid sick leave
Retirement plans
Many rely on public support programs, such as Medicaid or SNAP, to survive.
Women, immigrants, and Black and Latino workers are disproportionately represented.
Surveys show higher rates of:
Wage theft
Unsafe conditions
Harassment and retaliation
Workers still face risks from heat, smoke, chemicals, and physical strain without clear federal protections.
Reality:
There is no labor shortage — there is a dignity shortage.
Raise the federal minimum to a true living wage, indexed to inflation and region.
Eliminate subminimum wages, including tipped and disability exemptions.
Enforce fair pay across service industries.
Workers can meet basic needs, rely less on public assistance, and support local economies.
Pass the PRO Act to remove barriers to organizing.
Ban captive-audience anti-union meetings.
Enable sector-wide bargaining across restaurants, hotels, and retail.
Increase penalties for union-busting and unfair labor practices.
Fair wages, predictable schedules, and safe workplaces become the standard.
Require:
Advance schedule posting
Predictability pay for last-minute changes
Anti-retaliation protections for refusing sudden shifts
Establish national OSHA standards for:
Heat and smoke exposure
Safety in kitchens, warehouses, food service, and hospitality
Chemical and cleaning hazards
Healthier workplaces, lower turnover, and more stable incomes follow these changes.
Target housing funds to areas where service workers live and work
Support transit expansions for early morning, late-night, and rural shifts
Prevent long commutes caused by housing price spikes.
Workers can live near their jobs, save money, and strengthen their communities.
Tuition-free community college for service workers seeking new skills
Paid apprenticeships in hospitality, healthcare, trades, and clean energy careers
Wage progression tied to training and experience
Service jobs become career stepping stones, not poverty traps.
Strengthen enforcement against:
Unpaid overtime
Misclassification as contractors
Stolen wages
Expand federal DOL staffing dedicated to service industries.
Workers keep what they earn, and honest businesses compete fairly.
Service workers hold up restaurants, hotels, hospitals, grocery stores, airports, and schools — yet policy treats them as replaceable.
Raising wages, fair scheduling, strict safety standards, affordable housing and transit, expanded training, and strong unions will lift Oregonians out of crisis and boost economic growth.
A fair economy means workers who make life possible live with dignity, not struggle.