Ore. lifts minimum wage to nearly $15

Ore. lifts minimum wage to nearly $15

SALEM, Ore.

Oregon’s governor Wednesday signed trailblazing legislation that will raise the minimum wage to nearly $15 in six years and do so through a three-tiered system that has not been tried anywhere else in the country.

“I’m proud to sign into law my top priority of the 2016 legislative session – raising the minimum wage,” Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement. She said the new law “is a path forward – so working families can catch up and businesses have time to plan for the increase.”

President Barack Obama said Congress needs to follow Oregon’s example and raise the federal minimum wage – now at $7.25 an hour.

The Oregon increases over six years surpass those adopted by any other state so far. Oregon’s current minimum wage is $9.25 an hour.

US airlines vie for flights to Cuba

NEW YORK

U.S. airlines are looking to serve Cuba primarily from their large hub cities, with Havana being the most- popular destination.

At least eight carriers submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday outlining what routes they would like to fly. The government will spend the next few months reviewing the requests and is expected to award the contested Havana routes this summer. Flights to smaller cities – if uncontested and lacking any contentious issues – could be approved much sooner.

Once routes are awarded, airlines still will need time to develop schedules and actually sell seats on the flights. And though the U.S. government will set the routes, airlines also will need to apply to Cuba’s civil aviation authority for a permit to operate in the country.

Survey: US added 214K jobs in Feb.

WASHINGTON

U.S. businesses added a healthy 214,000 jobs last month, another sign that the U.S. job market remains resilient despite economic weakness overseas and tumult in financial markets.

Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that the better-than-expected hiring by private companies was up from a revised 193,000 in January.

Professional and business services companies added 59,000 jobs and construction firms hired 27,000.

But manufacturers shed 9,000 jobs in February, the first time they’ve cut payrolls since October.

E-cigarettes banned on airline flights

WASHINGTON

Electronic cigarettes are prohibited on any domestic or foreign airline flying to, from or within the United States under a final rule the government issued Wednesday.

The Transportation Department long has prohibited the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products on planes, and has interpreted that ban to include e-cigarettes. The regulations issued Wednesday are designed to eliminate any confusion over whether the previously existing ban actually included e-cigarettes, Secretary Anthony Foxx said.

Passengers are allowed to carry e-cigarettes with them onto planes but are not allowed to charge their batteries during flight.

Associated Press