Salem, ORE. – Today, the Oregon Public Ports Association recognized Representative Caddy McKeown and Senator Arnie Roblan with the “Friend of Public Ports” award.  The award recognizes those who have supported and promoted the critical role that ports play as economic engines in their communities state-wide.  One out of six Oregon jobs is directly or indirectly tied to cargo, recreation, industrial, commercial or other activities at Oregon’s ports.  The last time the award was given was to Representative Jean Cowan (D-Lincoln County) in 2011.

Senator Roblan has been an integral part of the Oregon Coastal Caucus and a champion for their annual Economic Summit. Due to his unselfish efforts as a member of the state’s Emergency Board, Senator Roblan has helped to ensure Oregonians are as safe and secure as possible during the current COVID-19 crisis. 

Representative Caddy McKeown, first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2012, previously served for nine years as a Commissioner for the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay.  She has been a fierce advocate in her work to promote transportation and economic development issues. She was instrumental in securing a dedicated funding source for the program that has been traditionally funded solely through lottery bond sales.  Caddy also aided the state in securing a dredge, thereby allowing Oregon’s smaller ports to address silting issues within their marinas.

Oregon’s 23 public ports provide recreational, commercial, and economic services to residents and businesses in Oregon and beyond, serving as state, national, and international transportation gateways. They are a key component in sustaining Oregon’s economy and quality of life, supporting thousands of family wage jobs.  The OPPA facilitates member collaboration, public agency communication, legislative advocacy and effective management to insure the success of Oregon Ports.

Next week's chat: Can industries survive Covid 19 and the Wildfires of 2020?

The coronavirus and wildfires impact on how Oregon's industries operate for the foreseeable future, and the measures taken to help businesses in current wildfire evacuation zones will be the topic of our October 13th disccussion with:

Paul Durant, of Durant vineyards, Redridge farms & the Oregon Olive Mill. Paul will discuss the wine industry and the impact of 2020 wildfires in Yamhill & Dayton counties, PPP and growing olives to make olive oil.

Nick Edwards, Secretary of the Shrimp Producers Marketing Cooperative. SPMC is the largest commercial fishing association on the West Coast. Nick is the first US fisherman on the board of ICWPF, International Cold Water Prawn Forum. The organization markets and promotes cold water shrimp in the European Union.

Yelena Nowack, Director of the Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC). She represents three Oregon fisheries,  the whiting fishery, the bottom fish Industry and Oregon’s Pink Shrimp fishery. We’re very lucky to have her passion at the helm of the OTC.

From  Oregon Employment Department

David Gerstenfeld Acting Director 

Today, the Oregon Employment Department will begin issuing Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) payments to qualifying Oregonians who received PUA benefits or self-certified that they received unemployment benefits for COVID-19-related reasons. 

LWA is a temporary emergency measure funded by FEMA that gives an additional $300 per week to people out of work due to COVID-19 and who receive unemployment benefits. 

If you self-certified your eligibility for LWA, you will receive individual $300 payments for each week you are eligible for, via your current method of payment. If you receive electronic deposit (direct deposit or ReliaCard), you should see funds in your account within three business days.

If you have not yet certified but think you are eligible for LWA, certify using the Online Claim System before it’s too late! There is no cut-off date for self-certification, but since funds are limited we encourage claimants who have not certified yet to do so immediately. 

You automatically qualified for LWA if you:

• Received unemployment benefits from July 26, 2020, through September 5, 2020; and
• Either received PUA benefits during that time or self-certified you were unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. 

Individuals receiving regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Extended Benefits (EB) are required to self-certify for LWA. Individuals receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) do not need to certify because they certified when first applying for PUA benefits. For step-by-step instructions on how to self-certify, visit https://unemployment.oregon.gov/workers/step-by-step-guides. 

LWA was retroactive to eligible claimants for weeks ending:

• August 1, 2020
• August 8, 2020
• August 15, 2020
• August 22, 2020
• August 29, 2020
• September 5, 2020

LWA payments are taxable under federal law, just like regular unemployment insurance (UI) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.