Note: The Existing Policy Resolutions Document contains policies adopted at General Council over a period of 4 years. See SEIU Local 503, OPEU Administrative Policies and Procedures (AP&P), Article V. For all resolutions, including both policy resolutions and resolutions containing amendments to the Bylaws or AP&Ps, see the Be It Resolved Summary.

SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU EXISTING POLICY RESOLUTIONS DOCUMENT

2022 TO DATE

BYLAWS COMMITTEE

RANK AND FILE BILL OF RIGHTS (Amended) (Resolution 4 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that every new member and every new staff person will be educated on the Union Members’ Rights in the Community. Local organizers will support education of existing members through regularly scheduled meetings with our members.

BE IT RESOLVED that Local 503 will post prominently on their home page the Union Members’ Rights in the Community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,

Union Members’ Rights in the Community

SEIU 503 welcomes you as a member of our Union. We encourage you to learn about the organizational structure of our Union and think about participating in your workplace and in the larger Union. 

We also encourage you to engage in activities outside the governing body of SEIU.  

In your local community, state and nation there is an uprising of working class struggles. We encourage our members to work with other unions, coalitions and movements to advance civil and human rights as well as the economic issues that affect us all. 

We also encourage involvement in global solidarity activities where workers are struggling around the world. 

We are all protected by the same Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.  

Freedom of Association. “The right of individuals to interact and organize themselves to collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests.” 

The freedom of assembly, rally, picket, march including the time-honored right to use civil disobedience. 

Freedom of religion, expression, speech. Freedom to publish. 

As a union we believe in collective action, we also believe every individual has the right to decide the issues and movements they want to build to make this a better world for all of us. 

Status: Passed 2024. This statement has been added to our website and we are incorporating it into our new hire materials.

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL POLICY/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

TRANSPARENCY IN STATE TREASURY INVESTMENTS (Resolution 1 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that SEIU 503, OPEU request the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council provide annual reporting of all portfolio holdings in every asset class, especially for the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU 503, OPEU provide support for initiatives or legislation in the coming years that would require annual Oregon Treasury investment reporting in an accessible format online or which support related investment transparency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU 503, OPEU advocate for a public sector union member to be appointed to the Oregon Investment Council; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU 503, OPEU re-establish the Capital Stewards Committee and request the SEIU503 President or their designee attend the OIC meetings and report to the Capital Stewards Committee.

Status: Passed August 2022. We continue to be deeply involved in the work of the Treasury. A staff person attends all the Oregon Investment Council meetings, provides testimony, and also feedback. We had significant impact on the Treasurer’s plan to align our investments with climate goals, culminating in the first Net Zero plan for OPERF.

This work has been embedded in our climate work and the position that was added through a 2024 GC resolution. We have made attempts at re-establishing the Capital Stewards Committee but it is not currently active, but there is a group of members very involved in the work. The plan we worked on was then codified into law by the 2025 Legislature in the form of House Bill 2081, which we strongly supported. The Capital Stewards Committee has been reestablished and had their first meeting in August of 2025. The President attends regular meetings with Treasury and we participate in multiple beneficiary workgroups.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON CLIMATE (Resolution 2 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that our Union shall engage with members, caucuses including the Indigenous People’s caucus, AFRAM, Latinx Caucus, ADPI Caucus and partners, and stakeholders, including Tribal Stakeholders, on climate-related legislative efforts in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions.

Status: Passed August 2022. The Climate Justice Committee has been leading this work and has at times worked with other Caucuses, although more work needs to be done by the caucuses and committees to combine efforts on climate. Through a resolution in 2024 we have been able to add staff capacity to climate and they have been regularly working in the legislative session on climate issues. The Civil and Human Rights Committee and the Climate Justice Committee collaborated to present a panel discussion on Climate Justice at the 2025 Civil and Human Rights Conference. The Climate Justice Committee will also have a table at the conference.

SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF TENANT UNIONS (Resolution 3 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that our Union shall explore ways to empower our membership to organize and win by bringing our members and community partners together to exchange information and support on issues regarding housing justice. We will engage members and community partners in our housing work and provide information on tenants’ rights and access to information on tenant unions.

Status: Passed August 2022. We are an active leader of the housing campaign at the State Legislature, called Stable Homes, working with tenant groups, advocacy groups, and developers. We have had members testify. During the 2025 session, we had members testify on multiple housing bills and attend a coalition lobby day on housing issues. We are actively exploring ways to deepen that engagement and bring housing more into our bargaining campaigns.

ANTI-BULLYING AND ANTI-HARASSMENT (Amended) (Resolution 4 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU THAT TOGETHER WE RISE, SEIU 503 AND ITS MEMBERSHIP, with other unions, allies, business and community organizations will advocate and advance to prevent workplace bullying and harassment– centering those historically overlooked by the labor movement– via recommendations, including but not limited to the following:

That SEIU 503 AND ITS MEMBERS will lead the way to work at being the first state to introduce and pass Anti-Bullying legislation, with legislators working with union leadership to re-introduce and pass strong and enforceable legislation that will hold public and private organizations accountable to existing OSHA and EEOC legislation and new legislation with transparent, accountable and enforceable mechanisms to address workplace harassment and bullying and other abusive and discriminatory practices in the workplace environment. Legislation may include legal recourse for employees who have been harmed psychologically, physically, or economically by being deliberately subjected to abusive work environments;
That SEIU 503 AND ITS MEMBERS will stridently continue to organize against anti-Blackness, misogynoir (sexism directed at Black women), ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Indigenous and any discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, family structure, body type/size, marital status, educational level in the workplace; and
That the Bureau of Labor and Industries Commission (BOLI) establishes a transparent and accountable tracking and annual or bi-annual reporting mechanism or system of employer and employee workplace harassment incidents via formal grievances, investigations, outcomes and corrective measures.
That SEIU and its members investigate and educate sub-locals on labor contracts that have been enacted to address micro-aggressions.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: THAT SEIU 503, leaders and represented members will work with local, city, and state governance, community allies, and employers to ensure that there are accountability systems for tracking and reporting, with benchmarking goals:

That employers have organizational cultures in which harassment is not tolerated, and in which respect and civility are promoted:
With regular organization-wide climate/culture assessment of all their workplaces for the risk factors associated with bullying and harassment;
exploring ideas for minimizing those risks; and
communicating widely and modeling a consistent commitment to accountable benchmarked and measurable goals.
That Employers devote sufficient resources to bullying and harassment prevention efforts, to:
ensure that such efforts are effective, and to reinforce the credibility of leadership’s commitment to creating a workplace free of harassment
establish quantifiable and accountable measures that hold mid-level managers and front-line supervisors accountable for preventing and/or responding to workplace harassment, including through the use of metrics and performance reviews;
That Employers’ anti-harassment policies include particular details about:
how to complain of harassment; such that transparent and accountable reporting structures of observed harassment are communicated frequently to employees, in a variety of forms and methods; and
Anti-harassment and anti-Bullying policies should include how employers should be alert for any possibility of retaliation against an employee who reports harassment, and what steps and actions should be taken to ensure that such retaliation does not occur.
That Employers adopt a values-based priority for Dignity and Respect in the Workplace such that there is institution-wide Anti-Bullying, Anti-Harassment, Ally and Bystander Intervention training and other best practice trainings, to empower coworkers and to give workers the tools to intervene when they witness harassing behavior, and other trainings toward harassment prevention.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that workplace harassment and bullying is unacceptable, and that together we rise for healthy, safe, inclusive, respectful workplace cultures and for workplace environments that respect the diversity and dignity of all workers.

Status: Passed August 2022. We continue to do a lot of work on discrimination and harassment in terms of our contracts. In the State Contract we made discrimination something we can grieve to the third step, we created a steward program that specially trains stewards on how to support members going through discrimination and harassment, and we now have a committee working on this. In 2025 bargaining, our caucus members and state bargaining team worked together to beat back take-aways in our State contract on our anti-discrimination language. This work to fight back against take-aways meant that we did not make the progress we wanted on arbitration in the contract. We did work to strengthen our anti-discrimination and anti-harassment language with a goal of being able to tackle the issue of bully bosses.

In the state and higher education bargaining teams we have created equity committees to review bargaining proposals with an equity lens.

We continue to run effective bully boss campaigns throughout our union when bosses bully their workers. Through these campaigns, we have been able to remove bully bosses at many different agencies. We continue to invest in these campaigns organizationally to make it clear that bullying and harassment are unacceptable.

OREGON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND INVESTING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (Resolution 1 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU 503, OPEU, will support efforts to bring the carbon emissions of OPERF investments to net zero as soon as financially feasible. Those efforts include, but are not limited to, support for legislation to provide capacity at the OST to achieve OPERF net zero, consideration of support for OPERF net zero in candidate endorsement decisions when relevant, and engagement with OST and the Oregon Investment Council.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU 503, OPEU shall support coordination of OPERF and other public pension funds to leverage investments to transition Oregon and the country from carbon emissions.

Status: Passed August 2024. This work has been embedded in our climate work and the position that was added through a 2024 GC resolution. We continue to be deeply involved in the work of the Treasury. A staff person attends all the Oregon Investment Council meetings, provides testimony, and also feedback. The President attends regular meetings with Treasury and we participate in multiple beneficiary workgroups. We had significant impact on the Treasurer’s plan to align our investments with climate goals, resulting in the first Net Zero plan for OPERF. The plan was then codified into law by the 2025 Legislature in the form of House Bill 2081, which we strongly supported. We meet regularly with the Treasurer to help with implementation.

POLITICAL DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION (Amended) (Resolution 2 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that the SEIU Local 503, OPEU Political Department and Communications Departments shall at least monthly notify Member Leaders about the bills, budgets, initiatives and meetings that may impact their members.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SEIU Local 503, OPEU Political Department shall develop a training for union members on what virtual testimony and written testimony involves.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SEIU Local 503, OPEU Political Department establish methods for member leaders to participate in or provide testimony for their scheduled meetings with legislators and their staff, when reasonable.

Status: Passed August 2024. We held two virtual trainings in February 2025 on how to testify and 43 members attended. We have launched a program to try to testify on key agency budgets. We launched a monthly political newsletter.

During the Legislative session we sent regular political newsletters and sent multiple post-session updates. During the most recent long legislative session, we had:

More than 50 members submit testimony
62 members testify
36 out of 100 members testified at the Ways and Means Roadshow
655 members attend 9 lobby days
200 meetings with legislators
1,000 members at our June Rally

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES DIGNITY (Amended) (Resolution 3 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU 503 will encourage the International to support passage of legislation outlawing both section 14c of the Fair Labor Standard Act and forcible sterilization of any individual who is in the United States of America or its territories.

Therefore, SEIU 503 will encourage the International to support passage of the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Therefore, SEIU 503 shall coordinate with the Differently-Abled Caucus to develop and hold a yearly seminar on the history of individuals with disabilities and how its members can further advance the rights, inclusion and equitable treatment for all individuals with disabilities.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are starting this work with the Differently Abled Caucus.

GREEN NEW DEAL FOR PUBLIC HOUSING (Amended) (Resolution 4 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that our Union shall endorse the Green New Deal for Public Housing as a critical and necessary initiative to address the intersecting crises of housing affordability, climate change, and economic inequality in Oregon.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon policymakers at all levels of Oregon’s government to prioritize and implement the Green New Deal for Public Housing as part of a comprehensive strategy to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all Oregonians, and to also connect with local tribes and tribal governments to make sure treaties are honored and no violations are happening.[1]

Status: Passed August 2024. Through our Fair Shot work, we helped pass Fair Housing For All (SB 599), which prohibits housing discrimination based on immigration status.

In addition, we are an active leader of the housing campaign at the State Legislature, called Stable Homes, working with tenant groups, advocacy groups, and developers. During the 2025 session, we had members testify on multiple housing bills and attend a coalition lobby day on housing issues. We are actively exploring ways to deepen that engagement and bring housing more into our bargaining campaigns.

SUPPORT WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN THE PHILLIPINES (Amended) (Resolution 5 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU 503 commits to building solidarity for the fight for workers’ rights in the Philippines through:

A. Continuing to provide education about the conditions facing workers in the Philippines and the role of the US in supporting the brutal anti-worker policies of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

B. Encouraging the International Union to support the passage of the PHRA.

C. Supporting the campaigns of Filipino workers in Oregon, many of whom work dangerous, underpaid jobs as nurses, caregivers and seafarers.

D. Encouraging the International Union to partner with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in continuing to build solidarity for the fight for workers’ rights in the Philippines.

Status: Passed August 2024. We have asked member activists for worker’s rights in the Philippines to coordinate with the ADPI caucus to ensure our union is connected to this work and to embed the voices of Filipino members in the work. We have continued to support proposals on worker’s rights to the Philippines and supported workers engaging in the work. Several SEIU 503 members attended the ICHRP general assembly in San Francisco in September 2025 with the support of the Board. The board passed a pledge in support of the work of the SEIU Kapit-Bisig Solidarity Org at the August 2025 board meeting.

PROTECT AND EXPAND OUR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS (Resolution 6 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 recommits and affirms our inclusive belief that all workers should have the freedom to live and work without discrimination; to make our own personal decisions and access the healthcare we need to live and thrive without political control, discrimination, and interference. Each of us, regardless of our gender identity, sex, or who we love, should be able to live, work, and make deeply personal decisions about our lives with dignity, respect, and equality of rights and freedoms.

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that we will work with other labor unions to educate and unite workers in our shared struggle for social and economic justice and ensure that labor is at the forefront of the movement for body autonomy, gender, LGBTQIA2s+, and reproductive justice. That we as a union help lead any future legislative or political efforts to ensure that Oregon’s Constitution explicitly protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and the individual’s right to make our own decisions about marriage, our reproductive health, and healthcare.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, that we stand resolute in our dedication to combating Antisemitism and Islamophobia within our communities and workplaces. We are committed to promoting inclusivity and equity for all workers, irrespective of their religious beliefs, ethnicity, or any other identity. Just as we champion the freedom of individuals to make their own private healthcare decisions and access necessary reproductive healthcare without interference, we also uphold the right of every individual to live and work free from discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic. We reaffirm our unwavering support for our fundamental right to freedom of speech as a cornerstone of democracy. This includes the right to advocate for peace and social justice both domestically and internationally, and to critique government actions that infringe upon our civil and human rights. We recognize that distinguishing between critiquing a government’s policies and engaging in hate speech against individuals or groups is essential for maintaining a healthy public discourse.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, that SEIU Local 503 is committed to taking a proactive role in any future legislative or political efforts aimed at standing in solidarity with our union siblings from historically and systemically marginalized communities who experience hate or discrimination. Therefore, we affirm our commitment to use our collective voice and resources to champion policies and initiatives that promote inclusivity, equity, and social justice for all.

Status: Passed August 2024. This work has taken on urgency with many attacks coming from the Federal level. We are steering committee members of the Oregon For All coalition, which is our immigrant rights coalition in Oregon, pushing back against detentions. We have been working closely with partners, specifically immigrant rights organizations and groups working with trans individuals, to make sure we are working on social justice while communities are under attack. We are also coordinating nationally to make sure our voices are heard in Congress and the courts.

We have also made adding immigration language and language protecting trans workers a priority at different bargaining tables. Both the higher ed and state bargaining tables created equity bargaining committees to make sure issues highlighted in these resolutions don’t get lost in the work and that we can ensure our contracts address these issues as well.

In 2025, there was a ballot measure – Equal Rights Amendment – that would have directly protected a woman’s right to choose in the constitution, protected trans health care, and removed language in the constitution that marriage is between a man and a woman. We joined the steering committee of the ballot measure and were very active, in the end the ballot measure did not go forward, but we are looking for opportunities to bring it back or bring it to the legislature during the next session.

EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION COMMITTEE

ORGANIZING AND INCREASING STANDARDS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CARE (Amended) (Resolution 1 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED that the Union shall commit to prioritizing the utilization of SB 1556, passed in the 2022 Legislative Session, to organize and increase the standards in the community-based care industry and to provide training in an equitable manner that does not create barriers to certification or licensure so that all care providers are certified and/or licensed.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. Senate Bill 1566 implementation has been significantly delayed. Despite this delay, we continue to work to align training and systems standards in community-based care (CBC) through advocacy and organizing as well as working with our workforce trusts. We organized two community-based care facilities in 2024 and a new one in 2025 as well.

In 2025 we introduced a bill to create a long-term care sectoral board (to increase standards and improve working conditions). While the bill did not pass this session, we are continuing to fight for it. We have finally made progress on moving forward on implementation of SB 1566 and it will be rolled out in the fall of 2026.

PRIVATE EQUITY AND QUALITY OF LONG-TERM CARE AND JOBS (Resolution 2 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU, requests that Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority, along with SEIU 503 demand transparency and accountability for privately-owned nursing homes, home healthcare, and hospice companies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our Union requests that the Oregon Treasury performs a thorough investigation and provides a report of all investments in private equity firms involved in nursing home, in-home healthcare, and hospice services in Oregon; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY SEIU Local 503, OPEU, to support through all means possible investment in the Care Economy to support those giving care and receiving care by greatly expanding wages and other financial support for housework, childcare, and elder care.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. Since this resolution has passed, we have seen 3 of the nursing home chains we represent bought out by REITs (real estate income funds) who make their money through real estate. We continue to be very active in research, advocacy, and organizing in long term care and we have worked with our International Union on research regarding private equity and REITs. We are engaging with the newly elected Treasurer on this issue.

BARGAINING EQUITY (Amended) (Resolution 3 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU: All SEIU Local 503 Bargaining Teams shall consider the Bargaining Equity Workgroup’s recommendations and will take into account the potential impacts of bargaining proposals on workers from traditionally marginalized and currently underrepresented communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: Bargaining Teams shall explore and prioritize winning contract language in the following areas:

Strong grieveable anti-harassment and bullying, contract, language especially toward BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ & Women, people with disabilities, Ageism, gender expression and all forms of discrimination.
Racism, discrimination, microaggressions, explicit and implicit bias, and harassment as a health issue
Gender and trans-affirming access, rights and protections, including Trans-affirming healthcare coverage
Equitable workloads that recognize the “invisible labor,” including emotional labor – that many women, BIPOC, and multilingual employees carry
Background checks and the use of the information contained in them and their impact on the formally incarcerated– who are disproportionately Brown and Black people.
Address retention issues of workers from traditionally marginalized and currently underrepresented communities (examples: Exit Interviews, Employee Resource Groups and other identity-based spaces, and track attrition rates of workers from traditionally marginalized and currently underrepresented communities)

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: all Bargaining Teams shall receive equity training that includes a framework for thinking through the ways in which bargaining proposals impact different communities differently.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. We have worked to implement this resolution in every contract bargaining campaign. We have developed a training that all bargaining teams go through and bargaining teams have worked to create proposals that address inequities at work.

One piece that has been very helpful is that we include demographics in our bargaining surveys, specifically around race/ethnicity, gender, and age to better understand how issues at work impact different groups of workers, especially workers from marginalized communities. While we have made some progress on equity issues, we still have work to do.

In addition to the work outlined in the previous update, in 2025, State workers were faced with the possibility of losing their Article 22 (anti-discrimination) contract language. The Field and Caucus program collaborated to hold identity-specific meetings on the subject, and to lead a digital action to collect stories on the importance of that contract language. This effort culminated in the presentation of Caucus members and State members from marginalized communities providing testimony at the bargaining table with management, to share their experiences.

CONFRONTING THE HEALTH CARE WORKER CRISIS (Amended) (Resolution 4 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED THAT SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU, PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING DEMANDS THAT EMPLOYERS AND GOVERNMENT RESPECT US, PROTECT US, PAY US, AND STAFF US.

RESPECT US: Regardless of our jobs, our race, where we live, or where we are from, we are at the center of healthcare delivery and should be respected.

We demand a seat at the table and a voice in decisions that affect us and those we care for and serve.
We demand unions for all healthcare workers.
We demand that the healthcare workforce, at every level of compensation, reflect the diversity of the communities we care for and serve. We demand opportunities for training and pathways to advance in our careers.

PROTECT US: Every worker must be able to work without fear for their health, safety, or well-being.

We demand safe workplaces where we can do our jobs without harassment, intimidation, bullying, threats, or acts of violence, including threats based on our gender identity, sexual orientation and expression, ability, marital status, body type, education level, economic status, race, ethnicity, who we love, or where we were born.
We demand the personal protective equipment (PPE) we need to keep us safe, so our patients, clients and families are also protected.
We demand comprehensive mental health support and services to manage the pain and trauma we experience in our work.
We demand paid leave so we can take care of ourselves and our families when they need us.

PAY US: All healthcare workers deserve wages that allow us to provide for our families and get ahead. We cannot fix the critical workforce shortage if healthcare workers do not have economic security.

We demand a true living wage in every corner of the country, never less than $15, and more where conditions require it.
We demand that public dollars, including Medicaid and Medicare, be used to fund good union jobs; employers should not be allowed to use public dollars to fund jobs that keep workers living in poverty.
We demand paid leave, a path to a secure retirement, and affordable, quality healthcare, including mental health coverage, for every healthcare worker and our families.
We demand increased corporate transparency and rigorous enforcement of standards to ensure that resources are directed to care and those who provide it.

STAFF US: The staffing crisis requires lasting solutions to provide quality care and keep workers and the people we care for safe.

We demand safe staffing-inclusive of all care and service jobs in all of our workplaces.
We demand that government adopt and hold employers accountable to safe staffing standards.
We demand that employers pay enough to keep dedicated healthcare workers on the job and attract new full-time workers, rather than adding to the existing crisis by paying corporate temp agencies premium rates to fill high-demand positions.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. Our homecare and nursing home members have worked side by side with members from across the country to implement this resolution. The attack on Medicaid at the federal level makes this even more important. We are working to protect Medicaid federally and continue to fight for higher standards in our contracts. We are also working on legislation in 2025 that includes healthcare workforce development at the state level and another piece of legislation that would create a sectoral board for caregivers that would better align standards

In 2025 we introduced a bill to create a long term care sectoral board (to increase standards and improve working conditions). While the bill did not pass, we are continuing to fight for it.

The Homecare Contract ratified their contract by 98.6% because it was a game changing contract, getting a majority of homecare and personal support workers to $25 by the end of the contract, making real progress on language justice, and also easing some of the paperwork burdens.

Since the end of the 2025 Legislative session we have started work to prepare for the impacts of Federal Medicaid cuts at the state level. We are working with health care allies and employers to figure out ways Oregon can maintain health insurance for communities and budget solutions that maintain health care instead of cutting it back.

STEWARD TRAINING REQUIREMENTS (Amended) (Resolution 1 / August 2-4, 2024)

This resolution amended the Bylaws and set forth policy expectations related to those changes. The policy portions of the resolution are set forth below. See Art. XVI, Section 5 of the Union’s Bylaws, or the 2024 Be It Resolved Summary, for the amendments to the Bylaws made by this resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, if the steward fails to complete the required training within the timeline, the steward will be notified by the Contract Enforcement Team that they have exceeded the timeline. The steward will be granted one (1) additional month to complete training. If at the end of the one (1) month period the steward still has not completed training, the Contract Enforcement Team will suspend the steward’s record and notify the sublocal President and Chief and/or Lead Steward(s), if any.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Membership Development Team and Contract Enforcement Team staff shall develop metrics, in conjunction with the Stewards Committee, to establish an experienced steward pool and a mentoring system.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU Local 503, OPEU will provide full compensation for the training to members if provided during work hours per each sublocal contract language on Union Business.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are adding training opportunities to make sure that all stewards have opportunities to get the training they need. We hosted a one day come one come all training in the fall of 2024 stewards that helped to train over 100 stewards. We are updating our tracking systems for stewards to make sure we can notify them and we have created online steward training to help make training easier to access.

We have implemented a new tracking system that allows us to clearly distinguish between Stewards-in-Training and Active Stewards. In 2024-2025, we have reduced the number of untrained or training-status-unknown Active Stewards from about 500 to roughly 200. Starting in January 2026, any Active Stewards who remain untrained will be reclassified as Stewards-in-Training. At that point, the “9 months plus 1 month” training timeline will begin for ALL stewards in training. Additionally, organizers are doing individual outreach to stewards and reaching out to sublocals to schedule training. [MU1] [MS2]

BUILDING STRIKE READY BARGAINING CAMPAIGNS THROUGH CROSS UNION COLLABORATION (Amended) (Resolution 4 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall upon receipt of requests for support from either other unions in Oregon or nationwide, make those opportunities available to union members on an equitable basis for the purpose of leadership development and field training.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that participation in such assignments prioritize union

members whose units are currently engaged in a bargaining campaign defined as from the launch of a bargaining survey or first bargaining conference up until a tentative agreement is reached as long as participation would not hinder that member’s participation in their own campaign.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall provide coverage for the costs of transportation, lodging, and other expenses, including, if necessary, lost

wages for members participating in these campaigns.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that elected bargaining delegates shall be empowered

through their own agreed upon process to call on SEIU Local 503, OPEU to make a

request for staff or member support and participation from other SEIU Locals or other

Oregon unions and that such requests shall be relayed by the SEIU 503 Executive Committee.

Status: Passed August 2024. We sent a group of members in active bargaining campaigns to the AFL-CIO strike school and have supported striking workers when asked. Examples include the Teamsters members at Bigfoot Beverages, the Oregon Nurses Association members at Providence, and AFT Members at Portland Community College. When another union calls, we work hard to show up and support in all the ways we can.

NOTE TAKER FOR BARGAINING (Amended) (Resolution 5 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall provide a trained note taker for all bargaining units.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall consult with its Legal Department to provide note taking training or guidance on necessary training.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU provide coverage for any costs of note taking curriculum as determined by the Legal department.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall make these notes available to stewards and the contract enforcement team within 20 days of contract ratification.

Status: Passed August 2024. The legal team has developed this training, shared it with the bargaining organizing team, and notetakers supporting state bargaining have already been trained using this newly developed curriculum. We utilized paid temporary workers for the end of state bargaining in 2025 and are continuing to think about how to have reliable notetakers throughout bargaining. We continue to be challenged in how we handle this in a way that supports the bargaining teams, when dates are added and time is extended. We learned that temporary workers as notetakers have some real challenges and the unknowns of the bargaining tables make it difficult. We are going to continue to explore different ideas, including using the idea from the higher ed table of using a retiree.

UNION OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

REDUCING SEIU 503’S CLIMATE IMPACT (Amended) (Resolution 1 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that our Union shall task the Climate Justice Committee to lead a comprehensive environmental assessment of our policies and practices related to transportation, events, and buildings and share its findings and suggestions with the Board of Directors no later than July 2023. Following the assessment, a climate action plan will be developed and reported on annually.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. The Climate Justice Committee has been leading on this work, including evaluating how to implement. We have not had the resources to fully implement and the Climate Justice Committee is coming back to General Council with further resolutions to help implement the next steps they see as necessary. Through a similar 2024 resolution, we were able to hire someone to help organize all of our climate work and we are starting a process to do this review. The person in this position is working with our facilities staff to coordinate with Energy Trust Oregon (ETO). Additionally, one of our facilities staff is taking an Energy Trust Training class. Upon completion, that will qualify us for more help from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF). This will also help us access other funding for the Salem and Portland buildings.[MU3] [SS4] [SS5] OVERCOMING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE (Amended) (Resolution 2 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU: SEIU Local 503 shall explore concrete and accessible ways to bridge the digital divide so that all members are able to participate in our Union, including but not limited to exploring ways to:

1. Provide internet literacy education and support to those who have a need for it and in languages spoken by those members;

2. Provide access to internet via a technology room for members within driving distance (and ability) of a SEIU Local 503 office;

3. For SEIU events that are online, connect members with resources needed for reliable internet access at home, which may include providing internet stipends and/or routers, monitors, tablets, and other hardware for members that show financial hardship and are not within driving distance and/or ability from an SEIU Local 503 office;

4. Partner with community organizations and social services agencies who are also working to bridge the digital divide; and

5. Provide hybrid or virtual options as applicable for as many Union events as possible.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. We have created member technology centers in our offices for members to use, we provide hybrid options for meetings whenever possible including all of our board meetings, and we continue to support members who need help accessing technology to fully participate in our union. This work is ongoing and we will continue to track legislation about broadband.

CREATING A UNION-WIDE STANDARD FOR LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND ACCESS (Amended) (Resolution 3 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU: As a part of our Union’s commitment to engage in becoming an anti-racist organization and dismantling institutions of white supremacy SEIU Local 503 is also committed to language justice, which includes:

Ensuring that all union policies and procedures, and other documents are available in the languages spoken by our members; at a minimum this includes translation of the following items in the 6 languages most spoken by members in our Union:
Bylaws and AP&Ps
All Union election related communications
The Code of Conduct
The Land Acknowledgment
The SEIU Local 503 website.

2. Collective Bargaining Agreements shall be translated into the languages spoken of the represented members of the bargaining unit; if many languages are spoken, they shall be translated into the 6 most common languages spoken. When possible, this expense shall be borne by or shared with management.

3. Providing meaningful access to Union meetings and event spaces in the languages spoken by our members;

4. Working to eliminate our Union’s reliance on inaccurate or unreliable automation tools, such as Google Translate, and instead invest in high quality, culturally appropriate/relevant translation and interpretation.

5. Ensure that anyone providing translation or simultaneous interpretation is respected, fairly compensated, and given appropriate notice for this work.

6. Ensure that all translation and interpretation is supported by the General Fund of SEIU Local 503, if the sub-local cannot afford it.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU shall implement the following practices to facilitate a more open and accessible space for ALL members:

Use Census data and other data our Union collects, or has access to, to determine our members’ language needs
Continue our practice of asking event registrants for their interpretation or accessibility needs in all SEIU events and meeting spaces.
Expand our offerings of simultaneous interpretation at Union meetings and events.
Providing closed captioning in virtual meetings
Provide visual descriptions during introductions and descriptions of images and videos: for Blind or Low Vision Attendees (and for those participating by phone in virtual meetings)
Ensure that all in-person and virtual meetings are ADA compliant.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. We have implemented much of this and our work continues. We will have simultaneous interpretation at General Council, we have interpretation at most of our board meetings in Spanish, we have better systems internally and work with more vendors to support our translation and interpretation needs. We’ve also started to meet with vendors 1-1 to determine how we can be better partners and provide the necessary tools interpreters need to do their work successfully, example: glossary of union terminology translated into multiple languages.

Our union continues to utilize universal interpretation more consistently, and we followed that model at the 2025 Civil and Human Rights Conference and will also be using that model at the 2026 General Council. Our equipment upgrade has allowed us to have more consistent universal interpretation throughout Homecare bargaining and at the Board of Directors meetings. Internally, we have created a language justice committee that has worked to streamline our internal systems and processes. We have made it so all translation/interpretation costs for sublocals come from the general fund budget to make sure that sublocals that have translation/interpretation needs are not at a disadvantage and to encourage the use of translation/interpretation in meetings.

We have improved our internal translation systems so that our multi-lingual Member Assistance Center representatives are able to rely on past translations of our governing documents and make timely updates as needed. Our staff are also able to standardize translations with language that our Union uses regularly. Additionally, for this 2026 General Council, we are implementing a language justice team to support our delegates who do not communicate in English. Investments in translation and interpretation including new interpretation equipment has been a little over $360,000 in the last 2 years, not including General Council.

REACHING NET ZERO BY 2030 (Resolution 1 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall

provide the resources and staff capacity to implement the work of the Climate Justice

Committee with the urgency required by the climate crisis and demanded by members.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU authorizes the Climate Justice Committee to collaborate with the Organizational Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department and other Departments in implementing this resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Green Audit Subcommittee, with support from the Climate Justice Committee, will refine and adopt a formal definition of sustainability to guide our work. With appropriate technical assistance and resources, including staff, we will begin an inventory of our Union’s measurable consumption, emissions, and waste. Once this baseline inventory has been established, a comprehensive strategy will be developed to reduce our environmental impact, establish new operational norms, educate members and staff, and more fully integrate our Union into Oregon’s growing movement for sustainability and environmental justice.

Status: Passed August 2024.Through this resolution we have hired a position that is holding our climate work on our political team and with our committee, and undertaking the process to do the inventory called for in this resolution. We have started the process of creating the plan to do the audit and we are actively engaging in climate work. The person holding our climate justice work and our facilities person are working together to follow up on the audit. We have reconnected with Energy Trust Oregon so we can do the audit on the buildings we own in Portland and Salem.

PRIORITIZING AND TRACKING ORGANIZATION EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING (Resolution 2 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503 OPEU that we commit to actively tracking our progress in our organizational equity and inclusion efforts and regularly reporting on the strides we make year after year, ensuring transparency and accountability in our journey towards a more inclusive and equitable union. This includes implementing and/or improving tracking mechanisms for the following:

· Incidences of workplace discrimination

· Code of Conduct complaints, specifically repeat offenders.

· Recruitment and retention of member leaders from historically and systemically marginalized communities.

· Languages, other than English, spoken by our members.

· Our efforts to secure stronger contract language in the areas of equity, inclusion, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination.

· Our implementation efforts of our General Council resolutions related to equity and inclusion.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503 that SEIU Local 503 will create or improve the following:

• Our internal process for collecting demographic data and bargaining for stronger language on data collection with employers.

• Analyzing grievance data, particularly focusing on demographics and worksite issues related to discrimination.

• Providing training to our caucuses on available data to facilitate membership growth.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503 OPEU that we will prioritize our values of social and economic justice as a union in all of our future five-year strategic plans and by ensuring that we conduct our 5-year strategic planning process with an equity and inclusion lens by actively engaging the voices of historically and systemically marginalized communities, in the various languages our members speak, through tele-town halls, written communications, and other forms of engagement.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are continuing to streamline our systems for collecting demographic information through our bargaining surveys. We have doubled down on our focus on language justice. We are working to create reporting systems that will allow for some of the tracking outlined in the resolution. Through state bargaining we won the ability to get data regarding hiring, firing and promotions with demographic data. The research department compiles this data, which will help in bargaining.

We have invested staff time and effort into building out tools that Organizers can use such as demographic dashboards, to be able to track our effort on an ongoing basis. Our Contract Enforcement team has modified grievance tracking systems to better track discrimination and harassment cases and launched a Learning Management System which allows stewards to train in languages other than English.

MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF SEIU 503 OPEU (Amended) (Resolution 1 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED that the time, resources and commitment of The Union be engaged to document The Union’s history from its beginning as an Employee Association in 1943 to its current form as SEIU 503, OPEU through General Council 2022 and create a book-like publication.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this publication shall be created in four (4) volumes of roughly 20 years each.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these volumes will be created in print and electronic format.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this history will be provided to members of The Union’s Board of Directors and Assistant Board of Directors as part of their on-boarding process and print copies made available to members of The Union at the cost of printing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the electronic format of this history will support the submission of stories from members and past members about their participation in the historical events through photos, videos, and text narratives.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this history would be presented to The Union’s Board of Directors meeting in March 2023 or at the meeting closest to the actual birthday of Public Employee Collective Association in Oregon and we encourage the Board to highlight the history throughout the year, incorporate in trainings, and included in an annual history event.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT SEIU 503, OPEU that continued documentation of The Union’s history is maintained by the production of “an annual” document of The Union’s actions, activities, struggles, leadership, and engagement with members. This document would be created on a biannual basis to coincide with the General Council meeting. The period of the first of these “Annuals” is to begin with General Council 2022 and delivered to General Council 2024.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT when the History is complete it is to be announced to members and a digital copy be posted to the website.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. This resolution has been implemented and members, along with the research team, and a group of former staff have worked hard to document our history. Over the next year, we will continue to release the information that has been gathered. Our goal is to build on our history for our 2026 General Council and do another opportunity to show our movie and release it to our wider membership.

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ENGAGING OUR MEMBERS IN THE HEALTH OF OUR UNION THROUGH RECRUITMENT, REACTIVATION AND RETENTION (Amended) (Resolution 2 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED that the Union Board of Directors shall establish a Member Committee that would be supported by staff using data and current best practices to guide a discussion regarding ways that low membership sub-locals can recruit, reactivate and retain members.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee works to develop a statewide pool of volunteers to actively engage with new members using best practices as determined by the Member Committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the established Member Committee shall provide an annual update to the Board of Directors. Membership density and reports will be shared with the Board of Directors and Sublocal Leadership quarterly. Recommendations for new strategies and feedback on the effectiveness of existing strategies to improve recruitment, reactivation, and retention.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the first report to the Board shall be May 2023 and the committee will continue to report annually to the Board.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. This committee has been regularly meeting, has helped make sure sublocal leaders have more information about their union membership and increased support in building membership. The committee has been reappointed in 2025 and is working on supporting sublocals in developing their Member Growth Lead positions. We have built an app that members can use to be able to identify non-members and be able to get them sign up for membership digitally.

CREATING PATHWAYS FOR LEADERSHIP OF BIPOC MEMBERS, LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE, AND MEMBERS WITH DISABILITIES (Amended) (Resolution 3 / August 12-14, 2022)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU, that our Union shall continue and expand language and caucus-specific cohorts for Member Leadership Development Programs (MLDPs) designed specifically to develop leaders from these communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our Union shall recruit, develop and retain leaders from marginalized and underrepresented communities (specifically Black and Indigenous members, people of color, young people, LGBTQIA+ people, members with disabilities, and members living in rural areas) in all of its leader development programs, including but not limited to MLDPs, steward and activist training, elected officer recruitment, and the Contract Specialist program, as well as other opportunities hosted by our international Union and other organizations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503 shall explore opportunities for deep leadership development, such as the 2017 Leadership Academy, prioritizing the development of traditionally marginalized or underrepresented leaders.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU local 503 staff will establish and follow an equitable, documented, procedure for ensuring inclusion of underrepresented members in leadership opportunities. The documented procedure shall be available to members online for their review.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503 staff and sublocal elected leaders distribute information on about these leadership opportunities that our union distribute current/future leadership opportunities in a readily accessible way to all members.

Status: Passed by 2022 General Council. We have continued to increase the number of caucus MLDPs, we have continued to enhance our training programs, we have better tracked the race/ethnicity of our leaders and tried to balance committees and appointed leadership positions to make sure they reflect the diversity of our membership.

In the fall of 2024, we have created a caucus handbook and started to streamline some of the ways caucuses can get the support they need. We have our first language diverse bargaining team with homecare and have continued to see more workers who get involved through our caucuses to run for the Board, Sublocal positions, and more.

Our Caucus program has engaged more leaders than ever, and the Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team is developing leaders within that program and engaging them in our Union’s Immigration work, and on other issues that impact marginalized communities most. We have also sent more members to International Union Caucus conferences, allowing for cross local collaboration.

We reached the International Union BOLD Center to help us do an equity audit. After member feedback based on internal union missteps, we have decided it would be good to have outside help to determine where we are succeeding and what else we should be doing. The initial audit report will be done this fall and we have a committee of members and staff set up to review the findings and implement next steps. The goal of this is audit is to help us continue to implement this resolution by creating a more equitable union where more BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities will want to get involved.

In 2026, the board formalized the Disability Activist Caucus (DAC) and passed a policy recommended by them to create spaces with our members with disabilities front and center. DAC members were able to tour the General Council space and give feedback about how to make the event more accessible. [MU6] [LT7]

As we move into the fall of 2026, caucuses and leaders are gearing up to be involved in the International Union political work, which has come out of connections with caucuses across the country.

ONGOING MEMBER LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (MLDP) (Amended) (Resolution 1 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU Member Leader Development Program (MLDP) shall have a focus on membership in every wave and at least one MLDP wave a year will be solely focused on building membership.

Status: Passed August 2024. We have had several Member Leader Development programs (MLDP) to support bargaining and membership has been embedded in all of them. In July, August and October of 2025 we have had three MLDP waves. In 2026 we have already had 2 waves of MLDPs and all of them have focused on membership. This coming fall we will have two waves that will focus on bargaining, membership and politics.

MEMBER GROWTH LEAD (Amended) (Resolution 3 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that every sublocal of 503 may designate a Member Growth Lead to coordinate membership growth work, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that sublocals and the Member Growth Lead will regularly recruit additional member activists to engage in membership growth work.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Local 503 will provide support to the Member Growth Lead through trainings and tools that assist with membership growth eﬀorts.

Status: Passed August 2024. The member committee has been digging into this work. Many sublocals are working to adopt this new role and/or forming member committees to work on membership in their sublocal. This work is expected to accelerate after ratification is completed in the state and homecare bargaining units.

The Member Committee continues to work on implementing this resolution. They are working with several sublocals, including Local 200, on standing up Member Growth Lead committees and/or positions within their sublocal. We will be developing tools, trainings, and other supports for Member Growth Leads in the coming months.

REAFFILIATING WITH THE OREGON AFL-CIO (Resolution 4 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that the members of SEIU Local 503, OPEU hereby reaffirm their commitment to the principles of solidarity, collective bargaining, social justice, and building worker power by voting to rejoin the Oregon AFL-CIO.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of SEIU Local 503, OPEU will set conditions for reaffiliating, to include but not be limited to a minimum of two seats on the board of the Oregon AFL-CIO, and a three-year phase-in for the per-capita cost of membership.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President and Executive Director, and official designees, of SEIU Local 503, OPEU are authorized and directed to take all necessary steps to facilitate the re-affiliation process with the Oregon AFL-CIO in accordance with this resolution, and its constitution and bylaws. Likewise, they are authorized not to re-affiliate if these conditions cannot be met.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect after the President and Executive Director of SEIU Local 503, OPEU report to the Board of Directors that all conditions have been met and the AFL-CIO has agreed to the terms of re-affiliation.

Status: Passed August 2024. We re-affiliated with the AFL-CIO at their December 2024 meeting and several members attended the AFL’s September 2025 annual Convention.

LANGUAGES OF LABOR: ADVANCING LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND ACCESS IN SEIU LOCAL 503 (Resolution 5 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that we reaffirm our commitment to prioritizing language justice by investing resources to improve our translation and interpretation services and processes. To that end, SEIU will support the Civil and Human Rights Committee (CHRC) in conducting a comprehensive review of our current processes to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies for enhancing language justice and access. This review process should be led by our CHRC members in partnership with our Board of Directors and include the following:

· Ensuring translation of all essential documents including Collective Bargaining Agreements, Bylaws and Administrative Policies and Procedures (AP&Ps), all Union election-related communications, the Code of Conduct, the Land Acknowledgment, and the SEIU Local 503 website, as well as materials for sublocals.

· Support and train sublocal leaders to ensure their investment in these efforts.

· Work closely with our union’s caucuses to provide interpretation services for all caucus events, meetings, and materials.

· Collaborate with the Organizational Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging department to provide training and support for member leaders on inclusive meeting facilitation.

· Collect comprehensive data on the languages spoken by our members to better tailor our language access initiatives.

· Improve the quality of translation services we utilize and provide culturally specific translations to better meet the needs of our membership.

· Remove all barriers to engagement and provide accessibility features and measures, such as closed captioning, ASL interpretation, and Braille.

· Partner with the Indigenous People’s Caucus and other indigenous organizations to invest in and advocate for indigenous language interpretation services.

· Hire staff that speak the languages that our members speak.

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503’s statewide Treasurer will present a biannual report to the Civil and Human Rights Committee and the Board of Directors on our Union’s financial investment and spending on translation and interpretation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 will foster a culture change within our union, including by enforcement of the Code of Conduct, so that all members, regardless of the language they speak, have equitable access to participate in decision making, discussion, and work of our union.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 will demonstrate its commitment to language justice by investing the appropriate financial resources in our interpretation and in translation efforts, processes, and services.

Status: Passed August 2024. We have created an organization wide committee to make sure we are working to embed language justice in every department. We have started purchasing equipment to make simultaneous interpretation easier for meetings. Through our committee work we were able to piece together the amount we spent on translation and interpretation in 2024 –$428,903 including General Council. In 2025 and 2026, we began tracking interpretation and translation expenses differently in our accounting system, which allows us to better understand the needs of our union membership, and allocate staff resources respectively. We have also made the decision that all translation/interpretation will be billed to the general fund and not the sublocal accounts to make sure sublocals can afford translation/interpretation costs. Investments in the last two years include new interpretation equipment and the ability to update documents we previously translated. Costs have come in. closer to $360,000 for translation and interpretation in the last two years. This does not include the costs of 2026 General Council.[MU8] [MU9] [CD10] [SS11]

NON-MEMBER DATA FOR SUBLOCAL PRESIDENTS (Amended) (Resolution 6 / August 2-4, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall develop and implement within four months of the closing of General Council a streamlined process to send non-member data, to include employee’s agency, email, phone number, and worksite where applicable to sub-local presidents on a quarterly basis.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are developing a system to get member leaders this information through a secure online system. Througha contract with WorkIt, a union focused data contractor, we have created a mobile friendly, secure system that will help our member leaders access real time member data and communicate directly with our data systems to give better access to member leaders. We are still in the process of rolling it out and figuring out how members can have better access to the tool. We have piloted it and have not found it to be easy for people to use without a lot of initial support and training.

OTHER POLICIES PASSED THROUGH OUT-OF-SESSION GENERAL COUNCIL VOTES

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS (Early Voting Resolution 5 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that the union will form a workgroup to conduct research across all sectors supported by SEIU 503 to determine what provisions each sector already has in their contracts, and what provisions might still be needed;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this workgroup will include at least one member from each sector of SEIU 503, as well as at least one SEIU 503 staff;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this workgroup will work to form connections with various existing emergency preparedness organizations, as well as with unions who are already working to address disaster preparedness, to learn from them and to see if we might be able to support them in their efforts in tandem with improving our workers’ preparedness efforts;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this workgroup will produce and provide regular reports to the appropriate parties in the union, as well as make appropriate recommendations for bargaining committees and other bodies of the union.

Status: Passed August 2024. We have continued to support our emergency assistance funds when disaster strikes. While we have looked at doing this work, we have not finalized the workgroup and to fully implement this resolution.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING BENEFITS FOR SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU MEMBERS (Early Voting Resolution 6 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall advocate for the establishment of comprehensive education and training benefits for its members, including tuition assistance, prepaid learning stipends, scholarships, professional development, and payback programs, regardless of job classification, income level, or employment status, and prioritize support for historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU General Council shall endorse the establishment of comprehensive education and training benefits for its members as a critical initiative to promote economic mobility, enhance job performance, and foster and retain a more inclusive and equitable public sector workforce in Oregon.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall call upon policymakers, state agencies, and educational institutions in Oregon to prioritize and implement the education and training benefits program as part of a comprehensive investment and retention strategy in the professional development and educational advancement of its members.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are working to make sure that training and career programs are available at the state by advocating for the career mobility project at Uplift, the state worker trust. We are also working on a healthcare training bill in the 2025 legislative session. We sit on the healthcare Future Ready Committee to make sure that the healthcare workforce includes homecare workers, personal support workers, and CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants).Our proposal in bargaining did not get accepted and our bill in the legislature did not pass. We are working with Uplift to see if there are possibilities of looking for foundation funding for this program since we did not get public or employer resources.

INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF OUR STEWARDS TO ADVOCATE FOR MEMBERS EXPERIENCING WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION (Early Voting Resolution 7 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 is committed to a union-wide effort to increase the ability of our stewards to support members experiencing workplace discrimination by providing and mandating equity and inclusion training, education, and ongoing support for all stewards. These support systems will provide stewards with equity and inclusion skills development for representing members facing workplace discrimination and harassment, ADA accommodation advocacy tools, training on enforcement of our Code of Conduct in union spaces and events, and would be available online in multiple languages.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 commits to bargaining stronger, enforceable, anti-discrimination and harassment language in all of our contracts.[2]

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU that SEIU Local 503 is committed to investing resources in recruiting and retaining stewards from historically marginalized and oppressed communities, members who speak languages other than English, or are bilingual, and members from other demographics or communities currently underrepresented in our union, such as young workers.

Status: Passed August 2024. Through the 2023 state contract we were able to create a stewards training that has specific training in handling discrimination cases. In 2025, we expanded this training to be available to more workers.

The Contract Enforcement Team has developed two new trainings: Organizing Around Discrimination and Harassment Grievances and Representing Immigrant Workers. Both will be open to all stewards.

Currently we are working with equity and inclusion staff to add new content to these trainings about the importance of worksite organizing when filing discrimination and harassment grievances as well as updating newly won language about safety plans. Additionally, we are expanding opportunities for stewards to attend a Code of Conduct training.

We have rolled out a Learning Management System (LMS) to allow for steward training that can be more accessible at a self-pace. While the Learning Management System work has gone slower than initially anticipated, we are spending the time to make sure trainings built in the learning management system are engaging and truly meet stewards needs. In addition to core steward trainings being developed in the LMS, including multilingual options, we are developing trainings on the American with Disabilities Act, confidentiality, and steward self care. Lastly, we are in the very early stages of developing a training to support stewards who are neurodivergent and/or who are supporting members that are neurodivergent which we hope to roll out early next year.

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR RETIREES (Early Voting Resolution 8 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall support and advocate for efforts, including legislative efforts, to increase and expand PERS subsidies for health insurance coverage without an overall reduction of subsidies for any individuals.

Status: Passed August 2024. PERS introduced Senate Bill 847 which would change and increase the health insurance subsidy. We were a core supporter of SB 847, including giving input on the bill and testifying multiple times. Unfortunately, the bill passed the Senate but died in the House at the end of the 2025 session. We are determining next steps now.

UNIONS FOR ALL (Early Voting Resolution 9 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that our union will use its organizing and political power to make Unions for All a reality for all Oregon workers, and that SEIU 503 will continue our work to organize long term care workers, public workers, and hospital workers to build power for our SEIU members in the key industries we represent.

BE IT RESOLVED that our union will explore new innovative ways to organize, working to bring industries together through sectoral organizing and using government to set standards with paths for workers to join together in union and that our union will explore ways to support gig workers organizing through SEIU and other unions.

Status: Passed August 2024. We are working to pass a sectoral board for caregivers that will help us build power for caregivers who may not have access to a union in traditional ways. We continue to support the SEIU local 49 organizing campaigns.While our bill did not pass, we are still organizing. We have had our most successful year in organizing new workers in many years. We have successfully organized 2,000 people.[MU12]

In the past year we have organized the students at PSU, workers at Albertina Kerr, the Jackson County Library, three nursing homes and one community-based care facility, the Department of Energy and the Oregon Ethics Commission. We have continued plans to organize two more nursing homes in the fall of 2026.[MU13] [SS14]

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY (Early Voting Resolution 10 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall develop and share out a document that clearly articulates and illustrates the dues structure and how dues are spent. The Finance Committee shall help create this document.

Status: Passed August 2024. The finance committee appointed in 2025 worked on this project. It is available on the website: Join Us – SEIU503 Local

FIELD ORGANIZER STAFFING AND WORKLOAD ANALYSIS (Early Voting Resolution 11 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that this governing body supports a workload analysis of all field organizer positions, including meaningful input from all field organizers, and implementing improvements based on the analysis, including but not limited to additional FTEs (full-time equivalent staff), organizing and equity training, strategic planning, and systems restructuring to advance the interests and well-being of our members.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this analysis shall be shared in its entirety as a report, which shall be presented to the Board of Directors before implementation of changes, with Leadership of the SEIU 503 staff union, PERU, in attendance to provide their perspectives to the Board, ensuring transparency and opportunity for the Board to fully understand the situation so they might confidently make any final decisions on matters within their purview, such as directing the organization to increase FTEs.

Status: Passed August 2024. We compiled information on number of workers, number of members, number of leaders, number of elected leaders, number of counties their turf covers, and number of worksites by internal organizer. A committee was formed to review the information and there were 3 additional organizers in the 2026 budget based on the review. We did add 8 additional organizers in 24-25 budget across the Contract Enforcement Team, and the internal and external teams before the review was done.[MU15] [AG16]

LEGAL DEPARTMENT STAFFING AND WORKLOAD ANALYSIS (Early Voting Resolution 13 / August 1, 2024)

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall support a workload analysis of attorney and paralegal positions as well as other relevant positions for support of the legal department including input from current department staff, other adjacent departments which require legal assistance (e.g. Bargaining Organizer Team, Contract Enforcement Team) and a range of stewards across all bargaining units and implementing improvements based on the analysis, including but not limited to additional FTEs (full-time equivalent staff) and systems restructuring to better support members and stewards.

Status: Passed August 2024. This analysis was done and we onboarded a new legal assistant in the 24-25 budget. The analysis did not show a need for another full-time internal lawyer.

ADDENDUM

OTHER POLICIES PASSED THROUGH OUT-OF-SESSION GENERAL COUNCIL VOTES AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

COMMUNITY MINI GRANTS

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Community Mini Grant program shall continue in the 2027 fiscal year with a $100,000 budget and members in good standing shall continue to be eligible to apply for mini grants capped at $5000 per recipient during the fiscal year to engage in their communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU 503 will communicate about the program at large member events and encourage the Board, sublocal officers, stewards, and the members of our Union’s caucuses and committees to spread the word about the program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in the last quarter of the 2027 fiscal year, the Operations committee will look at data around the program utilization and make suggestions to the board around any changes for the 2028 fiscal year.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

OREGON LANGUAGE ACCESS LAW

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that General Council of SEIU LOCAL 503, OPEU shall engage with members, partners, and stakeholders, regarding language access-related legislative efforts in the 2027 and 2028 legislative sessions and beyond.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the union shall work towards adopting a comprehensive language access law in Oregon.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR GOOD IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU, supports the development and use of AI and related technologies only when such technologies improve workplace safety, reduce drudgery, enhance public services, strengthen worker skills, and improve the quality of jobs rather than eliminate, degrade, or devalue workers and their labor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports the principle that workers and unions must have the right to bargain over the introduction, implementation, monitoring, and impacts of AI systems and automated technologies in the workplace; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports policies requiring transparency and informed consent regarding workplace AI systems, including disclosure of what technologies are being used, how decisions are made, what data is collected, and how such data is stored, shared, or sold; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports policies ensuring that consequential decisions affecting workers or the public — including hiring, discipline, scheduling, evaluations, healthcare determinations, benefit eligibility, and public services — maintain meaningful human oversight, accountability, and appeal rights; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU opposes the use of workers’ labor products, likenesses, voices, communications, or data to train AI systems without informed consent, collective bargaining where applicable, transparency, and fair compensation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports policies and regulations that prevent AI systems from being used to interfere with workers’ organizing rights, collective bargaining rights, whistleblower protections, or other legally protected labor activities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports the development of strong state and federal protections to prevent algorithmic discrimination, bias, and inequitable outcomes in workplaces and public services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports investments in workforce development, apprenticeship programs, continuing education, and union-led training to ensure workers are prepared to adapt to technological change while maintaining high-road union jobs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports responsible environmental standards and labor standards for AI infrastructure and data centers, including protections for water resources, climate goals, clean energy investments, community oversight, and the use of union labor and high-road labor agreements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU, shall work in coalition with labor unions, community organizations, environmental justice organizations, civil rights advocates, academic institutions, and policymakers to advance worker-centered AI policies and democratic oversight of emerging technologies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU supports other labor unions and bargaining units in negotiating strong contractual protections related to AI, automation, surveillance technologies, remote work technologies, and algorithmic management systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503, OPEU calls upon employers, policymakers, and technology developers to recognize that AI must remain a tool controlled by workers and communities, not a mechanism used to undermine labor rights, public services, worker dignity, or democracy.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

STEWARD RECOGNITION PROGRAM

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU 503 Stewards Committee will create a program to recognize stewards for their work.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the stewards committee will review how other unions support, recognize and/or incentivize their stewards, prioritizing SEIU locals or locals with similar workers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the stewards committee will report back to the board by July 2027 on their findings and recommendations to implement a stewards recognition program for their hard work to represent members.

The recommendation will consider how to increase uptake from stewards of using centralized systems, including the app to be launched in Feb 2027, to make sure that CET, sublocal leadership and other stewards know about active cases at the agency.
The recommendation will take into account that we have many stewards in name only and that any recognition should be about recognizing active and trained stewards
The recommendation will consider the differences in how stewards in homecare work than other locals with worksites and more traditional supervision.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

REACHING NET ZERO BY 2034

Now THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVEDBY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU shall continue to provide the resources and staff capacity to implement the work of the Climate Justice Committee with the urgency required by the climate crisis and demanded by members.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVEDBY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU directs the Climate Justice Committee to collaborate with the Organizational Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department and other Departments in implementing this resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVEDBY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that the Climate Justice Committee restart the Green Audit Subcommittee, consisting of members of the Climate Justice Committee and staff/union members with expertise, to advise and inform the SEIU Local 503 net zero process, including to refine and adopt a formal definition of sustainability and net zero to guide our work.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVEDBY THE GENERAL COUNCIL of SEIU Local 503, OPEU, with appropriate technical assistance and resources, will inventory our Union’s measurable consumption, emissions, and waste, with reference to the July 2023 “Initial Green Audit Report to the Board”. Once this baseline inventory has been established, a comprehensive strategy will be developed to reduce our environmental impact, establish new operational norms, investment priorities, and support members and staff in implementation of carbon reduction strategies.

References:

¹https://seiu503.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/UO-1-08-Reducing-SEIU-503s-Climate-Impact-PASSED-AMENDED.pdf
²https://seiu503.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UO-1-Reaching-Net-Zero-by-2030.pdf

Additional References

1. https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/15/oregon-has-a-clear-roadmap-to-a-more-affordable-reliable-energy-future-will-we-take-it/

2. Move Over Wind Farms: why some argue cutting costs is the best way to cut carbon – Check this out from the BBC: https://bbc.com/news/articles/c86ey5n9vx9o

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

RESOLUTION ON INCLUSION, ACCESSIBILITY, AND ENGAGEMENT FOR MEMBERS WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 shall initiate a union-wide discussion regarding the experiences barriers, and needs of members with hidden disabilities and disabilities generally; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the union shall engage members with lived experience, caucuses, committees, stewards, staff, elected leaders, and subject matter experts in identifying barriers to participation and recommending best practices to improve accessibility and inclusion; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this work shall include consideration of:

The development of educational materials describing hidden disabilities and their impact in workplace and union settings;
Opportunities to provide steward and leadership training related to disability inclusion, workplace accommodations, disability rights, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), family and medical leave protections, and effective representation of members with disabilities;
Strategies for creating meeting and event practices that improve accessibility, including but not limited to advance agendas, written summaries, clear action items, hybrid participation options, multiple methods of engagement, and other communication supports;
Consideration of accessibility needs at conferences, conventions, General Council, trainings, and other large events, including sensory-friendly spaces and methods that allow participants utilizing such spaces to remain informed and engaged in proceedings;
Best practices for fostering a culture in which disability disclosure is normalized, respected, and supported, while ensuring that participation and inclusion are not dependent upon disclosure;
Opportunities to improve awareness among members, leaders, stewards, and staff regarding hidden disabilities and disability inclusion;
The development of recommendations for ongoing accessibility review and continuous improvement of union programs, events, communications, and governance processes;
Consideration of a “Disability Inclusion Task Force” that includes members with lived experience.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, our union shall explore the development of a standardized accessibility and inclusion statement to be considered for use at meetings, trainings, caucuses, committees, conferences, and other union events, similar to existing practices such as Land Acknowledgement and Code of Conduct, with the purpose of affirming the union’s commitment to disability inclusion and informing participants of available accessibility resources and accommodations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that work will start no later than December 31, 2026;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the body, committee, task force, or workgroup charged with carrying out this work shall provide regular progress reports to the Board of Directors no less frequently than every one hundred twenty days (120) days. Such reports may be provided in writing, through presentation to the Board, or by another method deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the purpose of these reports shall be to provide updates on engagement efforts, finding, recommendations under development, identified barriers, and proposed strategies to improve disability inclusion and accessibility throughout our union;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that recommendations and implementation framework shall be presented to the Board of Directors no later than December 31, 2027, for consideration and action by the appropriate governing bodies of our union.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

UNIONS CHAMPIONING ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) HISTORY IN EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT FOR AANHPI WORKERS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU that our Union, in pursuit of its vision to be an anti-racist, equitable, and inclusive organization for all communities, shall endorse Unions Championing AANHPI History in Education to Strengthen Cultural Identity Development as a critical and necessary initiative to address this mental health crisis among young AANHPIs in Oregon—our future workforce.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon coalitions, unions, policymakers, state agencies, and educational institutions in Oregon to prioritize and implement Unions Championing AANHPI History in Education as part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen AANHPI cultural identity, as well as recruit, retain, promote, and build a more just, inclusive and sustainable future for SEIU 503 members, their families and communities in Oregon.

References:

Census Data on Asians and Pacific Islanders in Oregon: APANO Communities United Fund, Insight for Action, and Willamette Partnership (2022)
Oregon Health Authority: Engaging Oregonians in Identifying Health Equity Policy Priorities (2014)
HB 2845 (2017): K-12 Ethnic Studies Standards for Social Science
Oregon Department of Education Ethnic Studies Standards FAQ
The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework: Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being (2022)
The Asian American Foundation: Beyond the Surface. AANHPI Youth Mental Health Study (2024)

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

BARGAINING EQUITY 2.0

BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU: all SEIU Local 503 Bargaining Teams shall consider the Bargaining Equity Workgroup’s recommendations and will take into account the potential impacts of bargaining proposals on workers from traditionally marginalized and currently underrepresented communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: Bargaining Teams shall explore and prioritize winning contract language in the following areas:

Strong grieveable anti-harassment and bullying, contract, language especially toward BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ & Women, people with disabilities, Ageism, gender expression and all forms of discrimination.
Racism, discrimination, microaggressions, explicit and implicit bias, and harassment as a health issue
Gender and trans-affirming access, rights and protections, including Trans-affirming healthcare coverage
Equitable workloads that recognize the “invisible labor,” including emotional labor – that many women, BIPOC, and multilingual employees carry
Background checks and the use of the information contained in them and their impact on the formally incarcerated– who are disproportionately Brown and Black people.
Address retention issues of workers from traditionally marginalized and currently underrepresented communities; in particular detailed exit interviews, and Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and other identity-based spaces; that track recruitment, retention, promotion, demotion, lateral transfer, medical separation and termination as well as attrition rates of workers by race, ethnicity, preferred language, disability status (REALD) and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: all Bargaining Teams shall receive equity training that includes a framework for thinking through the ways in which bargaining proposals impact our diverse communities differently.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

RESOLUTION TO DECLARE SEIU 503 A SANCTUARY UNION

BE IT RESOLVED that SEIU Local 503 declares itself a Sanctuary Union, committed to defending the rights, including labor rights, dignity, and safety of all workers, regardless of immigration status.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU Local 503 reaffirms its policy of non-cooperation, unless legally required, with ICE and any federal immigration enforcement agency. This includes prohibiting ICE access at union events, offices, or during union business without a judicial warrant.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU Local 503 shall train Immigration Committee Leaders, interested Chief Stewards and interested staff, on how to respond to ICE presence, raids, or intimidation, including but not limited to Know Your Rights and Legal Observer education.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 allocate resources, including staff time and legal support funds, to defend immigrant members facing deportation, detention, or kidnapping in the absence of due process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 create and maintain a rapid response network in coordination with immigrant rights organizations, legal allies, and community groups, to mobilize immediately following cases of enforcement activity.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 lobby at the State and Local level for policies that expand sanctuary protections, driver’s licenses for all, access to healthcare and public services for immigrant Oregonians, full funding for legal defense, and to de-identify employee names and pronouns from public records release for worker safety.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 integrate immigrant justice into all areas of union work, including contract negotiations, political endorsements, and member education.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the staff and elected leadership of SEIU 503 shall be held accountable to this resolution through regular and consistent reporting to the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and CAPE, that this Sanctuary Union framework shall be embedded in future program planning, contract enforcement, and legislative priorities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 shall further commit to implementing proactive measures to ensure the safety and rights of immigrant members, LGBTQIA2S+, clients, and community partners. SEIU Local 503, specifically, the Immigration Committee shall work on creating plans to respond to workplace raids and other worksite responses. While collaboration with employers is encouraged, the Union should not be dependent on the employer or limited by a lack of employer participation in this initiative.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 shall support and participate in ongoing campaigns to free members from ICE detention centers and ensure access to due process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 shall support and encourage all member-led initiatives to defend human rights rooted in immigrant, migrant, and LGBTQIA2S+ worker justice.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, SEIU Local 503 shall establish its own Naturalization and Citizenship program and aid for associated fees. This program shall include critical labor history as a member benefit. Collaboration with community partners is strongly encouraged, but our member benefits should not be limited by community or coalition partners.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 shall develop internal rapid response and workplace action plans to respond to ICE activity or worksite action plans to respond to ice activity or worksite enforcement, independent of employer cooperation.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

DISENGAGEMENT FROM CORPORATIONS TIED TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ICE

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will review and, where feasible, disengage from corporations, companies, and entities that provide direct support, services, or material resources to federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will develop criteria and processes to identify such entities and ensure that union investments, contracts, and partnerships are consistent with the union’s values and commitments to worker and immigrant justice; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will advocate for public agencies, employers, and institutions with which it interacts, including state agencies and contracted employers, to similarly review and sever relationships with corporations that support federal law enforcement actions harmful to immigrant communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will educate its membership about the impacts of these corporate relationships and support organizing efforts that promote accountability and alternatives aligned with community well-being; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 reaffirms its commitment to protecting immigrant workers, defending civil and human rights, and using its collective power to oppose systems and institutions that harm working people.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

SUPPORT OF COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE AND GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE ACCESS

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 affirms that access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion care, and gender-affirming healthcare is essential to worker health, safety, and overall well-being; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will advocate for and support policies, contracts, and benefit structures that ensure accessible, affordable, and comprehensive coverage of reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare for all members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will oppose efforts, legislative, administrative, or otherwise, that restrict, limit, or undermine access to such care; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will work with employers, state agencies, and healthcare providers to ensure that healthcare plans offered to members and their families include nondiscriminatory, evidence-based coverage for reproductive and gender-affirming services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 will support education and outreach to members regarding their healthcare rights and available benefits, recognizing that informed access is critical to utilization and well-being; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that SEIU Local 503 reaffirms its commitment to protecting bodily autonomy, promoting equitable healthcare access, and advancing conditions that allow all workers and their families to live and work with dignity, safety, and security.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

TRANSPARENCY IN STATE TREASURY INVESTMENTS

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF SEIU 503, OPEU maintain the Capital Stewards Committee and request the SEIU 503 President or his/her designee attend the OIC meetings and report to the Capital Stewards Committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU 503, OPEU actively engage with State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council to ensure the full implementation of the Climate Resilience Investment Act passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SEIU 503, OPEU advocate for a public sector union member to be appointed to the Oregon Investment Council.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

DEVELOP A CROSS-SECTOR SWITCHBOARD RELAY FOR TIME SENSITIVE CALLS TO ACTION

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the union will create a mechanism for a localized “call to action” informing members of regional actions and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, creation of a digital regionally-based map identifying sector leadership of which member actions can be facilitated, a switchboard offering a point of contact within each diverse member sector to increase cross sector mobilization and supports when needed.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

DISABILITY INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

Purpose

SEIU Local 503 is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment that reflects the full diversity of its membership. Members with disabilities make up approximately 25% of our union and the Oregon workforce. This policy establishes the union’s commitment to disability inclusion across all union spaces, events, and activities, and directs staff and leadership to implement the practices outlined below.

Section 1: Accessibility and Safety in Union Spaces and Events

SEIU Local 503 and its sublocals recognize that accessibility is not one-size-fits-all. Accessibility means giving equitable access to all people—regardless of ability—to participate in events, rallies, protests, conventions, and all other union gatherings and spaces. Accessible design benefits members with and without disabilities alike. The union also recognizes that it currently lacks a formal safety or emergency plan for union spaces, and that any such plan must center the needs of members with disabilities from the start.

In all planning, the union and its sublocals shall:

• Ensure that accessibility and member inclusion are at the forefront of all event and space planning, with members with disabilities included in that process from the start.

• The Disability Activist Caucus (DAC) shall appoint a member to serve as an accessibility liaison, who will meet regularly with the Operations Coordinator to review upcoming events and spaces and provide guidance on making them accessible.

• The DAC shall develop a disability accessibility guide that will be posted on the SEIU Local 503 website, distributed to all sublocal officers, and used as the standard reference for event and space planning. When a DAC member is not available to assist directly, staff and sublocals shall follow this guide.

Event and Space Accessibility

• Ensure there is not a one-size-fits-all approach—accessibility planning should be tailored to the specific event, rally, protest, convention, or union space.

• Ensure that necessary procedures, equipment, signage, and supports are in place for all members to participate fully.

Emergency and Safety Planning

• Develop a disability-focused safety and emergency plan for all union spaces, considering the needs of members with a range of disabilities, including vision, mobility, developmental, psychiatric, and hearing disabilities.

• Define, agree upon, and communicate the steps for evaluating an emergency and taking action, including shelter-in-place procedures that account for members who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication difficulties.

• Ensure all members—including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision—have access to the same safety information in a detailed and timely manner.

Section 2: Disability Inclusion Training

SEIU Local 503 upholds the values of equity and inclusion and recognizes the need for structured training on creating disability-inclusive workspaces. The union shall develop and deliver that training as follows:

• Create and implement a training for all members on building a disability-inclusive workspace, developed in partnership with staff and members of the DAC and Civil and Human Rights Committee (CHRC), and with members with disabilities, to ensure it is inclusive and equitable.

• The DAC shall review the training before it is finalized and on an ongoing basis to ensure it remains current and reflects the lived experience of members with disabilities.

• Provide the training in plain, accessible language, with accessibility and inclusion built into how it is delivered.

• Include disability etiquette and education on person-first language versus identity-first language as core components.

• Treat this training as a starting point, with a commitment to continuing to expand on disability rights, accessibility, and inclusion over time.

Implementation

The Board of Directors directs staff to develop implementation plans for each section of this policy in coordination with the DAC and CHRC. By March 2027, staff shall report back to the Board of Directors, the DAC, and the CHRC on the status of implementation, including progress on the accessibility guide, emergency safety plan, and member training.

Status: Passed by Board of Directors July 2026.

By Keyword

EXISTING POLICY RESOLUTIONS DOCUMENT

INDEX

OREGON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND INVESTING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (Resolution 1 / August 2-4, 2024)