Homecare Electronic Election Halted. Redo By Paper Ballot Happening Soon.

In case you missed it, the Homecare sublocal election was halted by the Elections Committee last weekend after multiple errors by the contracted elections vendor. This created confusing instructions and other issues that made voting inaccessible to members.

As a result, the Elections Committee made the decision to run the election using paper ballots, which will be mailed out in the next several weeks. We will keep members updated on when to expect these ballots in your postal mailbox.

As noted in our Union’s bylaws, you must have been a member by January 26, 2024 to be eligible to vote in this sublocal election.

Can Care Providers Claim Travel Time? 

Yes! Homecare workers, personal support workers, and personal care attendants can claim travel time when they travel directly between the homes of the people for whom they work. This may include starting or ending at the pharmacy, grocery store, or other place you provide services for the individual.

• Travel time does not include traveling to and from your own home, attending to personal business, or taking a significant break (60 minutes) between traveling to one employer’s home to another. Travel time can include stopping for rest breaks, getting gas, or using the restroom.
• Travel time cannot by more than 10% of your authorized hours worked during each pay period unless you have an exception to do so.
• Travel time is paid at your base hourly rate and does not include differentials.
• Travel time is different that service-related driving. Transporting the person you work for or going to the grocery store or another place approved in the service plan are examples of service-related driving. Time for service-related transportation must be prior-authorized and is paid at the hourly rate you receive while providing services and support to the individual.

Information for homecare worker and personal care attendants: OR PTC DCI is not used to claim travel time. Please complete a travel-time tracking sheet and mail it the address on the form or fax it to 503-947-5357. Please make sure to write clearly and include all the require information on the tracking sheet. Here is a link to the tracking sheet.

Information for personal support workers: eXPRS is used to claim travel time. Information on how to do that can be found here. Information can also be found in the eXPRS User Help Guide under “eXPRS” here.

Connect to Consumers with Carina!

Carina is now the exclusive care matching tool for in-home care workers and consumers participating in Medicaid and Oregon Project Independence (OPI) programs.

The online Carina tool is a benefit of Carewell SEIU 503 as bargained by your SEIU Local 503 bargaining team. It is free to use, 100% secure, and allows you to message and match with nearby consumers seeking part-time, full-time, and respite care. Use Carina to gain qualifying work hours for Carewell benefits, as well as additional pay up to the new 60-hour cap.  Click here to join for free!

Carina by the numbers   
2972 providers
1198 consumers
207 job matches

2024 Stewards Conference: Care Provider Leaders Honored

Stewards are the backbone of our union. These member leaders help coworkers when they have an issue with management or need information about their contract. On April 6 and 7, for the first time since the pandemic, we held an in-person Stewards Conference to provide training and recognize their contributions to our union.

Stewards were honored statewide across all work sectors. Among them were several Homecare and Personal Support workers, including Joy’e Willman. Joy’e is a founding member of our homcare union, and her incredible contributions were acknowledged with the coveted “Hammer of the Working Class Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Thank you to all those who have stepped up to become Stewards! Our union couldn’t be successful without members like you! You can learn how to become a steward here.

Around Our Union: Support Serenity Hospice Workers!

Workers at Serenity Hospice provide comfort and care during life’s most vulnerable moments, and they deserve our unwavering support. These workers have unanimously chosen to form a union, but Addus management is refusing to recognize it. Help us make a difference by contacting Addus corporate management today!

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is this Monday, April 22nd. Events are taking place across the state to celebrate. Our SEIU 503 Climate Justice Committee compiled this list of Earth Day events and resources you can use to find something near you. Our commitment to environmental justice doesn’t end on April 22nd. If you want to learn more about our work, join our Facebook Group.

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