On June 28th, SEIU’s bargaining team presented all of the Union’s proposals to Arete. (See below for summary)

Our SEIU Nursing Home Union bargaining team took a firm stand against retaliatory anti-union behavior by management in several facilities. Sarah Sutherland apologized on behalf of Arete and said she would investigate this matter. 

Our next bargaining session is July 19  2-5 pm. Arete will respond to all outstanding proposals. 

Join our next bargaining session to show your support in winning a strong contract. Click the link below to join on July 19 at 2pm.

Join Zoom Meeting

Summary of Union Proposals

• Wage Increases
  • September 1st, 2023: 6% COLA + one step up the wage scale, equal to an additional 3%.
    Any employee who is paid above the wage scale will receive a 6% wage increase.  
  •  September 1st, 2024: 6% COLA + one step up the wage scale, equal to an additional 3%.
    Any employee who is paid above the wage scale will receive a 6% wage increase.  
  • September 1st, 2025: 6% COLA + one step up the wage scale, equal to an additional 3%.
    Any employee who is paid above the wage scale will receive a 6% wage increase. 
    

• Memory care differential of an additional $.25 per hour paid for all hours worked by any employee assigned to a memory care wing.
• Shift Differentials. EVE: $1.00 per hour, NOC: $1.50 per hour.
• Extra Shifts and the Emergency Use of Mandation: Strong contract language that limits Arete from mandating staff, except in emergencies. Mandation cannot be used as a regular staffing tool, is limited to 4 hours and mandated staff receive an additional $10 per hour.
• Add Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
• Improve Paid Time Off accrual amounts.
• Join our Essential Worker Healthcare Trust. Excellent quality healthcare with lower premiums and lower out-of-pocket expenses than the healthcare currently offered by Arete.  
  • Monthly premiums 
    • $35 for single employee
    • $70 for employee + spouse  
    • $105 for family

• Arete staff to have the right to enforce the State of Oregon’s new acuity-based staffing requirements in Assisted living facilities.
• Call lights should be answered within 6 to 10 minutes. If it takes longer than 10 minutes, either management can call additional staff in from home to work or they need to jump in and respond to residents directly.
• Caregivers and med techs shall not be required to pass out dining trays. Caregivers and med techs may be asked to pick up dining trays. 
  
• Newly hired med techs shall be assigned a minimum of five caregiver shifts before being assigned into their med tech role. Then, the newly hired med tech shall move into the standard med tech training where newly hired med techs are paired with existing med techs for a minimum of five shifts. These provisions are to avoid medication passing errors.
• Arete staff at non-union facilities to have the right to join the Union through a streamlined process, free from intimidation or retaliation, just like Arete SEIU members did several years ago.
• Clarifies that staff may speak languages other than English with residents and families at their request and with co-workers. This is current federal law. 

Our contract is expired — What happens now?

The laws are clear that the current status quo and or standards do not change, almost all the terms of the expired contract continue while the Arete bargains. The exceptions are union security, management rights, no-strike/no-lockout, and arbitration provisions. Now that the contract is expired, workers have the right to take more public action to push Arete to meet your needs in bargaining, up to and including striking. A strike can only happen if a majority of workers at Arete vote to do it, but the threat of a strike puts more pressure on management to settle the contract.