August 7th 2026, Dignity Newsletter
- Dignity for All Actions Across Oregon
- Your Story Can Help Protect Homecare
- Wildfire Assistance Fund
- Help Address Oregon’s Housing Crisis
- Upcoming HC Meetings Near You!
- Around Our Union: Marion County Action
Dignity for All Actions Across Oregon
Last week, care providers and supporters gathered across Oregon for Dignity for All! actions, sending a clear message: everyone deserves the dignity to live safely in their homes and communities. Through rallies, info pickets, storytelling, and community gatherings, members spoke out against federal attacks on Medicaid and the essential care services that thousands of Oregonians rely on every day.
Together, we showed the power of standing united for care, dignity, and respect. These actions are just the opening move. Bargaining starts in just a few weeks, and we’ll keep showing up: organizing, sharing our stories, and standing together until care is protected for good.
Above: Homecare workers share their stories on July 31st in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Your Story Can Help Protect Homecare
Your work as a care provider makes it possible for people with disabilities to live safely, independently, and with dignity in their own homes and communities. But today, federal healthcare cuts and attacks on community-based care threaten the services that thousands of Oregonians rely on every day.
Your voice can make a difference. By sharing your story, you can help show elected leaders, the media, and the public why homecare matters and why workers and consumers deserve better. Together, our stories build the power to protect and strengthen homecare for everyone. Ready to make an impact? Share your story and inspire others to take action.
Wildfire Assistance Fund
As wildfires continue to spread across Oregon, many of our members and their communities are facing uncertainty and hardship. When disaster strikes, our union is there for you. SEIU Local 503’s Wildfire Hardship Fund is available to provide financial assistance to members affected by evacuations, property damage, lost income, or other wildfire-related challenges. If you’ve been affected by our most recent wildfires, we encourage you to apply. If you’re in a position to help, please consider making a donation to support fellow members. Learn more here.
Help Address Oregon’s Housing Crisis
Oregon is experiencing a statewide housing crisis. Your union, SEIU 503, is working to create a state where every family has access to a safe, secure, and affordable place to live. We want your input to help inform our advocacy. Can you please take two minutes to complete this brief housing survey today? Take the survey.
Upcoming HC Meetings Near You!
Homecare workers are stronger when we come together. Join a regional meeting to connect with fellow providers, hear the latest union updates, and help build the power we’ll need as we prepare for our next contract campaign. We’ll also discuss how we’re responding to ongoing federal attacks on the services and workers who make it possible for people to live safely and independently in their own homes. Find a meeting near you and add your voice to the fight for a stronger future. View the calendar here.
Around Our Union: Marion County Workers Turn Up the Pressure as Contract Talks Stall
Marion County workers packed a board of commissioners meeting this week to protest management’s refusal to budge on cost-of-living or healthcare premium share proposals. Workers’ wages are falling further behind as inflation and the cost of everyday living expenses rises, so workers decided to show up at the meeting and take their fight for a fair contract to a broader audience. MCEA (Marion County Employees Association) President Kristina Ballow formally notified the board that the union is declaring impasse in bargaining during her testimony.
Amanda Farrar, MCEA vice president, put the issue in plain terms, “Healthcare affordability has been our number one priority the entire eight plus months that we’ve been bargaining…Affordable healthcare is not about getting rich. It’s about being able to take care of their family in an economy that is really struggling.”
The board claims they can’t afford our union’s proposal, but the numbers tell a different story. During the past 10 years, inflation was 45%. While MCEA workers only saw 21% increases to their wages, the board of commissioners voted to increase their own pay by 60%! Now they are offering COLAs of 2% during the next two years and refusing to adopt a 95/5 premium split for healthcare, an arrangement that other units in the county already have. If premiums increase at the same rate as last year, costs could climb nearly $700 and put workers even further behind. You can support these workers in their fight by sending an email to the commissioners with this link.
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