BLOG: "...would you like salt or ketchup with your fries?"
Sam Adams
I ask, "Hi, would you like salt or ketchup with your French fries?”
He looks into the bag I just handed him and then up at me, "Actually, I want some of that Burgerville sauce.”
“Sure, that will cost 35 cents.”
“Come on, I ready paid at the last window,” as he fishes for coins in the ashtray. “All I have is a credit card…I see you have a whole bunch of sauce packets right by the cash register…I’m a regular customer…”
I remember my training. I smile, and say, “I’d like to be able to give it to you but I might lose my job.”
The woman in the passenger seat begins to giggle. He says, “You’re on a power trip, dude,” as he pulls away. Luckily, most people have been courteous.
It’s about 3:30 pm. I am working an 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Friday shift at the Montavilla Burgerville on NE 82nd and Glisan.
Dressed in the company uniform with my name tag, “Sam,” my job is to assemble and hand out the food orders at the second drive through window.
So far, I’ve learned to make French fry, shakes, and raspberry short cake, clean the dinning room, empty the trash, and wash the food baskets. Next, I learn to run the registers.
Only Burl seems to know how to hand make the Walla Walla sweet onion rings each morning and she is not going to tell me her secrets.
Today is not my first day in the food service industry.
I worked as a dishwasher, busboy and cook at Mr. Steak restaurants in Eugene, Oregon and Missoula, Montana for a total of five years.
Restaurant work helped get me through high school and college. The smell of cold Freon gas vapors, eggs and meat when walking into a restaurant walk-in cooler takes me back every time.
Why am I doing this? To learn and to make a point: Tens of thousands of Portlanders work in the service industry; it is often hard work that has to be done with perfection and a smile each time. The pay is often low and the benefits are increasingly frugal.
Yet, these lower paying jobs are kind of jobs we are adding quickest in the region, while we lose living wage work opportunities.
I choose to work at Burgerville as on of my “100 Hours in Portland’s Most Common Jobs,” because it is different than most fast food chains.
Vancouver, Washington-based Burgerville has 39 restaurants; it buys from local suppliers and treats its workers well.
My coworkers today at this Burgerville include Slavic and Spanish speaking immigrants, a Portland-native mother, daughter and son team, a new father, previously retired workers, and high school and college students. The job tenure of my Burgerville crew ranges from a few months to 15 years.
None of them have heard of me before seeing my name on the restaurant reader board. A number ask me what I do exactly as a Commissioner and why am I working for free. I try to explain. They seem supportive but not really clear.
I ask some of my coworkers what they think about City government. Most say they are too busy working, getting to work or going home from work to pay much attention.
“I am too busy with work and taking care of my family,” said one. “Before today, I didn’t know about you or even think about city government.”
I wonder how many Portlanders have ever thought about him, or Portland's working poor, either.
Posted by Sam Adams on July 10, 2005
(19) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Southeast Portland (inner)
Comments by site visitors
How about supporting or introducing some measures around environmental justice? There are some great groups thinking about workers all the time, just reach out and make some contact with us. I would relish the opportunity to use Councilman Adams for a few days to raise money for our orgazniation and talk to more groups and citizens about economic and environmental justice in Portland.
Posted by: Javier O. Sanchez | Jul 11, 2005 3:34:34 PM
Mr Adams - Sorry, I am really confused about what you are trying to do. Nice PR and all, but remember your goals.
I thought the original genesis of the 100 visits and doing this type of work was to bring quality jobs to Portland.
I do not see how this gets you there unless your CoP salary makes you the highest-paid counter person at Burgerville.
I'd be more interested in feedback from employers who provide quality jobs on why we can't get these in Portland. You may want to go to Kruse Way and ask around, those buildings never have a vacancy it seems.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 12, 2005 8:08:04 AM
Steve,
I thought some of the same thoughts when Sam and the rest of our team first decided to do this. I think, for me, what became clear is the disconnect between the importance of the two-way relationship of family propserity and business success.
Attracting quality jobs is integral to overal economic success which is integral to family prosperity which is integral to quality jobs. This is why Sam heard that it doesn't mean much if quality employers can't find quality employees for quality jobs.
These are complimentary issues and they require complimentary solutions.
We are continuing to work on bringing quality jobs to Portland. Sam's appointment to Workforce Systems, inc., the Economic Dashboard and lease to own opportunities are things I think will help bring the jobs, and create the workforce, of which our city can be proud.
Posted by: Jesse Beason | Jul 12, 2005 2:16:51 PM
Jesse - I am still confused. If Mr Adams thinks it necessary to work at Burgerville to realize it's not optimum employment, I could have either saved him that day of work with a quick phone call or have him do further in depth study by doing yard work for me for a day.
My issue is that family prosperity happens after quality jobs get here. I really don't think you'll attract too many employers with a sales spiel of we have high taxes, many regulations, not enough trained workers, but very happy families.
I see he is doing lots of different things, but nothing that directly attacks why we cannot get more quality employers to set up shop in Portland instead of places like Hillsboro or Lake Oswego.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 12, 2005 3:28:00 PM
I, for one, think it's valuable that our elected officials become personally in touch with the various dimensions of our economy to figure out the right way to acheive prosperity.
If Sam only talked to business owners, he'd have a skewed perspective. Working on potholes and fry machines, and with people who do that work day in, day out, helps Sam be in touch with people throughout a business (or government agency), not just their leaders, so that he can create policies that help everyone. Nothing like walking a mile in someone's shoes.
Kudos, Sam. And damn, I love those onion rings.
Posted by: Evan Manvel | Jul 12, 2005 6:12:19 PM
Steve,
I'm working at Portland's most common jobs to put a media and public spotlight on the fact that the jobs we are adding are mostly lower wage; to remind ourselves that that life is not easy for those working on a low wages; and, to learn.
You might already understand these realities (that’s great), I meet many Portlanders who do not. Thus, I am concerned that this issue is not prioritized high enough as a communitywide problem.
You are right, we cannot get local folks into family-wage jobs that don't exist; We need successful local businesses to provide these jobs.
That is why I spent the first 100 days of my term (and counting) I visited over 100 local businesses: asking them what I could do to help them succeed and add jobs. My staff and I have helped a number of local businesses with issues the brought to our attention. I am also pursuing local business tax reform, regulatory reform, setting measurable economic goals and other initiatives.
However, getting more Portlanders hired into good jobs is not only about helping local businesses succeed.
First, some businesses can succeed by sourcing their work overseas. To make sure we our more competitive in the world marketplace, I hope to improve the local business climate (as mentioned above), help make sure our workforce is well trained and very productive. But there is a lot I cannot do about this global phenomenon.
Second, the facts show that just because a family-wage job is available locally, doesn't guarantee a local person will get it. For example, many of our best paying high tech jobs go to people who have to been recruited from out of town. Why? Because a qualified local person was not available. This is also true for many jobs in the healthcare fields.
At the same time, tens of millions of dollars are spent locally on work force training in the Portland area. That is why I have paid surprise visits to these programs (see later BLOG entry). Why also I have been a vocal critic of the lack of results for many of these workforce programs.
I was just appointed to the Board of Worksystems, Inc. and I look forward to pursuing my concerns.
Thanks for posting your comments; keep ‘em coming.
Sam
Posted by: Sam Adams | Jul 12, 2005 6:53:27 PM
Mr Adams - I realize a lot of people are in jobs that are not optimal. Even if I did not, I don't think you could find anyone who would not say in Portland there are not enough living-wage jobs, so I still think you could pursue more productive uses of your time.
You are correct that in some cases you can't control things. Plus we can train people all we want, but without employers it is not much good.
I guess I see there are 3 types of potential employers:
1) Those who really want to be in Portland, these people you only have to knock down some barriers.
2) Those who will never come to Portland (eg like the California weather)
3) Those who consider Portland vs. LakeO vs Vancouver vs Hillsboro. If you focus on fixing the issues that stop these people from picking Portland that would help a lot.
I was just hoping that after 12 years as Ms Katz economic director person, you would take a different tack, but it seems this is more of the same approach.
I will give you credit you are at least trying somethings.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 13, 2005 7:10:43 AM
Sam,
Two questions.
1) How do you balance attracting employers who provide family wage jobs but impose other social costs (e.g. a cement factory or waste processing plant, or others) such as pollution or noise)? I am not sure how we reconcile the conflict between our environmental ethic, our oft stated desire for "creative class" jobs, and the crying need for good working class jobs, many for families located in "felony flats" and many in industries that, in a perfect world, Portland may not wish to attract.
2) While I laud your support for local businesses, how much effort do you think we need to give to attracting national and international corporations and industries, who (on average) provide better wages, better benefits, and more secure retirement and pension packages? This isn't a variation on the first question; instead, I wonder whether your resolute focus on local businesses ignores an important part of economic development, which is to make ourselves attractive to national and international business (and something at which, anecdotally, I have been told Portland does a very poor job).
Posted by: paul gronke | Jul 13, 2005 3:59:24 PM
Steve: I think you left out an important business category: The local businesses that are already here. It is my priority to grow the businesses that are already here. That is why I visited 100 businesses in the first 100 business days of my term. Helping existing local businesses expand and hire more workers at family wage jobs is my first priority; making sure more Portlanders get any newly created family wage jobs completes the prosperity picture. The media coverage about my work at Burgerville and Portland’s other most common (and also coincidently low-paying) jobs has raised the awareness of Portland’s growing ranks of the working poor. I do not view it as an ‘either/or’ proposition: either I help businesses or I help the working- or unemployed-poor. I/we must do both. Sam
Posted by: Sam Adams | Jul 13, 2005 5:33:21 PM
Paul-
Let me answer your second question first. Sam and our economic development team know that we have to do a lot more regarding getting out there and marketing Portland's strengths to businesses who are looking to relocate or open new campuses to get them to locate themselves in Portland.
We believe strongly that the if the city government is not actively recruiting businesses that would benefit the community, then it is not doing its job. This is why our office is going to make business attraction and retention a major priority. We have a lot of strengths in Portland that would benefit potential employers: an educated workforce, high livability, a good transportation infrastructure and port, and a lot more.
One specific endeavor regarding business recruitment that we are currently undertaking is a national outreach campaign to attract green businesses. We're doing this in part by touting our green credentials, environmentally conscious and supportive government, great market for emerging green products, and relative concentration of environmentally educated professionals and engineers.
Our hope is that efforts like these will bring the sort of businesses we want into the city, and give us a spot in a market niche where we can have true competitive advantage.
Now, we acknowledge that this is not enough in and of itself, but it is a good first move in a larger strategy that we are dedicated to.
...Which brings me to your second question about balancing our environmental ethic and other social goals with a strong, vibrant economy. We believe that we can actively recruit, retain, and cultivate businesses that provide both solid jobs and that are true to our city's broader environmental and social values. The development, design and manufacturing of green products would provide both working-class *and* "creative class" professional jobs while cultivating a market niche that enhances our global competitiveness and simultaneously advancing our green ethic.
This is the ideal. But, other economic decisions may not be so easy, and there are always trade-offs when making decisions. Those will be made on a case-by-case basis on their particular merits. Sam is committed to a strong, green economy with good jobs, and a just social order. Anything we can do to advance those goals simultaneously, we will do.
Posted by: Roland Chlapowski | Jul 15, 2005 9:59:41 AM
Hey Sam, how about a shift on a busy Friday or Sunday at one of the most thankless, tiring, berated jobs in the city today.....Customer Service Agent at an airline (I've got one in mind if you need ideas). I believe wholeheartedly in what you're doing. If you don't mind getting cussed at (repeatedly), fists slammed down in front of you (repeatedly), unreasonable requests (repeatedly), very long hours (beyond your scheduled hours), low pay, and dealing with literally hundreds of irate people over and over, I've got the job for you. It's grueling and taxing....every day. Let me know.
Posted by: Arnie | Jul 19, 2005 5:49:49 PM
I am proud, for one, of my Commissioner for, as one of the first persons I ever voted for in Oregon ( we moved here in 2004 from Texas) keeping his campaign promise and doing just what he said he would. Oh if only Karen Minnis could do the same, we would have SB1000 passed in both houses and equal rights would be a reality.
Posted by: Bill Fry | Jul 29, 2005 1:39:52 PM
May I have another serving of shameless self-promotion?
I’ll hand it to you Sam you are an extremely savvy politician. Perhaps too savvy. A political version of Morgan Spurlocks 30 Days reality TV show – genius. But here’s the thing. I have way too much hope for you and know that you can do more for Portland than this. We voted for you for action and change on tough issues facing our city. Affordable housing, business climate, public safety, school funding the meth crisis the list goes on and on. Stop the pubic relations stunts. Don’t go working at the airport it would just lead you father down the slippery slope to irrelevancy.
Come back - Focus we need you and it’s time for you to step up and do the hard work that the city needs. Vera did it, Tom’s doing it and now it’s your turn.
Posted by: reality check | Jul 29, 2005 6:02:15 PM
Dear Reality Check:
I am following up on my visits to 100+ businesses in the first 100 business days of my term by working 100 hours at Portland’s most common (and lowest paying) jobs.
From my visits to 100+ businesses (I am still doing visits) I’m taking action, I gained City Council support for an increase for business association grants, authorization to establish a lease-to-own program to help small businesses to buy their work space, and creation of the City Council’s first liaison to neighborhood businesses. Also, I am pursuing creation of the region’s first economic and job goals, a business tax reduction, reforms to what I see as carte blanche administrative rule making authority given to some city bureaus, and improvements to the Portland Development Commission’s business recruitment and retention efforts.
I also am happy to use the “bully pulpit” that comes with my little piece of local notoriety as an elected official, and the media interest that comes with it, to get news coverage of the challenges facing many of Portland’s unemployed, working poor and the declining income of Portland’s middle class – there hasn’t been enough local media coverage of these issues.
The more advocates I can create and gather together by getting these issues into the media for public discussion; the more I will be able to get done. Seeing Portland through the eyes of others; learning about this city from my own diverse firsthand experiences in it, also makes me a better public servant along the way.
I like to work hard and smart, so the relatively small investment of time I make outreaching this summer to businesses and workers does not detract from my pursuit of solutions to the issues of affordable housing (Commissioner Sten and I added $2 million in the last budget), public safety (we will cut unnecessary administrative costs out of $360 million now being spent on city and county public safety and use savings to add jails beds and meth/drug treatment programs), school funding (I’m helping to raise money for public opinion research) or the meth crisis (see mention of $360 million above) to name just a few.
Sam
The show pony and more for good civic causes.
Posted by: Sam Adams | Jul 29, 2005 9:08:58 PM
Sam,
I gotta news flash for you. The election's over. You won. You can stop campaigning (lol just kidding).
Dave
Posted by: Dave Lister | Aug 4, 2005 4:33:00 PM
I disagree with the respondents who bill this as a publicity stunt. I had no idea about the local economy until I started participating. People don't think about it until it's right there in their faces. This allows not only Sam to see the real issues, but it allows the people he visits to start thinking about thier local economy. The more people involved, more will vote, more will speak up, and more changes will happen. I think this is a brilliant way to do something more with a political position.
Posted by: Laura | Aug 19, 2005 2:57:29 PM
Sam, even though it is was only for an eight hour shift, I really admire the fact that you took the time to experience the life of local minimum wage worker.
Now, make it meaningful. Take that eight hour experience, times it by 360 days and then multiply that time by $7.50 a hour. Don't forget that if you were to get hurt on the job or get sick or to have an unexpected bill come up, that final number gets lower real quick. THAT'S the reality of life for many Portlanders.
As you set the policies for this great city, REMEMBER these experiences and have empathy. Only then will it have been a truly meaningful exercise versus simply a publicity stunt.
Moses
Posted by: Moses Ross | Oct 3, 2005 8:12:16 PM
I thought the creation of low wage jobs was all the Republican's doing.
Sam won't be able to fix that problem unless he registers Republican and infiltrates the party and stays deep, deep, deep undercover until they have the next big Free Trade Agreement and then BAM: He'll vote against his party and Free Trade will be repealed and everybody in Portland will get $90k/year jobs.
I admire Sam's effort: he's got more experience working outside government (counting all 100 hours) than any other commissioner except Saltzman. He also has a tireless work ethic. I just wish the ambition could be concentrated on doing the easy things very well, rather than constantly looking for new (albeit ambitious) strategies that will be poorly executed (due to dispersion of resources and oversight).
Posted by: W. Bruce Anderholt II | Dec 14, 2005 10:33:39 PM
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this is fabulous. i HEART sam.
Posted by: amyispolish | Jul 11, 2005 12:39:44 PM