Portland OR Radio: Pamplin Ordered To Pay Back Wages

Carl Wolfson

The Bureau of Labor and Industries has ordered Pamplin Broadcasting to pay a total of $55,000 in civil penalties and back wages to former KPAM 860 AM radio hosts Carl Wolfson and Margie Boule, reports wweek.com.

In a 56-page final order, BOLI found that Pamplin wrongly classified the pair as independent contractors when hosted the "Margie and Carl" show in 2016 and 2017. In fact, BOLI found, Boule, a former Oregonian columnist and Wolfson, a longtime stand-up comedian, were effectively employees and thus eligible for overtime pay.

"BOLI applied the 'economic realities' test applied by courts and in previous agency orders to distinguish an employee from an independent contractor under Oregon's minimum wage laws, and found the majority of the factors weighed heavily in favor of an employer/employee relationship," the agency said in a statement.

Margie Boule

The former hosts will each get about $12,000 and Pamplin was ordered, after a contested case hearing, to pay BOLI $30,700 in civil penalties.

Pamplin Broadcasting was owned by the local businessman Robert Pamplin, Jr., who still owns Pamplin Media, a chain of two dozen Oregon newspapers including the Portland Tribune.

Ankur Doshi, an attorney for Pamplin Media Group, said in an email that the company may appeal the state agency's determination.

"Pamplin Broadcasting-Oregon is obviously disappointed with BOLI's Final Order, and will be reviewing the order to determine whether to appeal," Doshi said.

Pamplin Communications sold KPAM-AM 860 and KKOV-AM "Sunny 1550" earlier this year for $1.2 million.