In the last week of February years of effort by SEIU 503 members and our partners resulted in historic tenant protections. SB 608 makes Oregon the first state in the nation to ban no-cause evictions and limit rent increases, effective immediately.

Many of us are aware of the sustained effort that went into today’s win. “There is absolutely no recourse for the renter as long as the landlord hides behind no-cause, no-reason evictions,” DHS worker LeeLa Coleman testified in 2017 when the House passed a similar measure as the one signed into law today. That bill ended up dying in the Senate, but we didn’t give up. We mobilized.

This session was no different, with members continuing to step up to fight for affordable housing:

• Department of Education worker Paula Pena shared her family’s compelling story with legislators and the public as SB 608 worked its way through the legislature.
• Retiree Karla Spence-Marks was pushing for the bill before the legislature convened.
• Homecare worker Andy Mangels shared his story with an international audience through the New York Times.

Our members played a critical role in passing Oregon’s historic tenant-protections. As the campaign for tenant protections showed, your story is important. You can make a difference, make your voice heard.

While this is a major early win, we have a lot of work left in order to raise sufficient revenue to fund state services, and fund the contracts we deserve. Our 2019 legislative priorities are centered around these goals. They include:

• Funding for Contracts and Passing Revenue
• Funding for Services and Passing Revenue
• Affordable and Stable Housing
• Improving Long-Term Care
• Funding Higher Education
• Protecting The Right To Join A Union
• And more

Click here to read a full write-up of these and other priorities.