If You’ve Reached the 2,000 Hours Threshold, You’re Getting a Wage Increase! Here’s How it Works.

On July 1st, as part of the contract won in the most recent bargaining cycle, caregivers who have worked at least 2,000 hours between January 2023 and July 2024 became eligible for a $1 per hour pay raise. This is in addition to the $1.73 per hour increase caregivers received in January of this year!

The Oregon Department of Human Services will continue to review caregiver hours every six months to determine who is eligible for the pay scale increase. Even if you are not at 2,000 hours at this time, your hours worked will continue to accumulate and you will eventually qualify.

Want more details? Check out this explainer video! You can also find a list of answers to frequently asked questions here.

For general questions, contact the Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC) or SEIU Member Assistance Center (MAC). Contact information is listed below. If you would like more detailed information about how your hours were calculated, contact your local office or case management entity.

Oregon Home Care Commission 
Customer Relations Unit
Phone: 1-877-624-6080
Email: OHCC.CustomerRelations@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Customer Relations Request Form

SEIU Member Assistance Center 
Phone: 1-844-503-7348
Email: contact@seiu503.org

Heat Wave Help: Free Air Conditioners, More for Qualifying Residents Across Oregon

To help cope with soaring heat, smoky skies and other dangers of our warming climate, the State of Oregon is providing air conditioners, air purifiers, power banks and other climate support assistance for people currently or recently eligible for medical assistance. Go to the Oregon Health Authority website for more information. You can find detailed information on other climate support assistance options provided through OHA here.

The City of Portland is also helping people prepare for heat by giving away free air-conditioning units to those who qualify. Through the city’s Cooling Portland program, the units are available to low-income households, people older than 60, residents with medical needs, and people who live alone.  To request a unit, call 311 or fill out a form online. The program’s goal is to install 15,000 cooling devices in homes citywide for people in need.

Free Online Webinars: Carewell SEIU 503 Offers Benefits Education and More

Monthly Benefits Updates and Q&A: Carewell SEIU 503 Benefits are not only limited to Healthcare Cost Assistance, but they also offer Paid Time Off (PTO), Dental, Vision, and Employee Assistance Program. Sign up for an online education event offering care providers information about Carewell SEIU 503 benefits, answer your questions and help you navigate those benefits!

Medicare and Healthcare Cost Assistance 101: Homecare and Personal Support Workers, and their family members who are planning or preparing to enroll in Medicare or are already enrolled in Medicare can sign up to get some helpful information at this webinar, brought to you by the Carewell Benefits team. Attendees will review the basics of Medicare and how eligible Medicare participants can use the Healthcare Cost Assistance benefit. You can find the webinar schedule online.

Around Our Union: City of Wilsonville Members Settle Their Contract

The member-elected bargaining team for City of Wilsonville workers recently wrapped up their contract negotiations––working late into the evening after a 12-hour marathon bargaining session that resulted in huge victories on wages and other economic and non-economic wins.

A big shout-out to our Wilsonville SEIU members on the bargaining team: Jose Mora Manzo, Jeanette Patton, and Don Rundle. Congratulations on a great win for members!