The State Library of Oregon is one of SEIU 503’s smallest sublocals, but we are lucky to have a healthy 84% membership rate and regular Labor Management Committee meetings. This strong infrastructure was put to the test recently when SLO…

The Oregon DMV has been struggling with staffing shortages caused by budget constraints and hiring freezes at the Department of Transportation; to keep offices running, management scheduled some part-time employees to work full-time hours—without reclassifying them as full-time. As a…

Oregon lawmakers are now deciding how much to fund state agencies and determine the amount of money available for SEIU 503 members to bargain new contracts this year. The Ways and Means Committee is hosting a series of “roadshows” across…

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President Trump’s federal funding freeze, which was stopped by a judge, and Congress’s proposed $2.3 trillion cut to Medicaid has sent fear and confusion across the nation. These cuts to healthcare would directly impact SEIU 503 members and the people…

Last week, SEIU 503 president Johnny Earl and executive director Melissa Unger, led a member town hall to talk about what our Union is doing to respond to a whirlwind of federal executive orders and the upcoming congressional funding debates.…

Happy Black History Month! February is our month to celebrate the great achievements of all of our people. Black Americans have made numerous contributions in all sectors over the years, including in organized labor. This is particularly meaningful to me…

On Friday the 6th, Senator Chris Gorsek (SE Portland), Chair of the Joint Transportation Committee, and Representative Tom Andersen (Salem) joined SEIU leaders for a site tour of Salem’s ODOT Maintenance Yard. Due to the $1.7 billion shortfall in ODOT’s…

The State of Oregon operates on a two-year budget cycle. As you can see above, it’s a long process with a lot of different steps and stakeholders, including our union. Right now, we’re between Agency Budgets becoming public and the…

Every year, PEBB must stay under a 3.4% cost growth cap imposed by the legislature. This is a continual challenge with increasing health care inflation. This year, health care rates increased $21.4 million above the 3.4% cap.  The largest cost…