Caregiver Longevity Pay Review Begins in July

On July 1st, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) will review your hours worked over the last 18 months to see if you qualify for an additional pay increase. 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 will be eligible for a $1 per hour pay raise. This is in addition to the $1.73 an hour increase caregivers received in January of this year. 

ODHS will then review caregiver hours every six months to determine who is eligible for the pay scale increase, so even if you are not quite at 2000 hours, your hours worked will accumulate and you will eventually qualify.

There will be another cost-of-living increase of .50 cents per hour in January of 2025. Check out this video for a more detailed explanation of the new pay scale.

Newly Elected Sector Representatives Attend Leadership Trainings

More than 200 elected representatives of sublocals across SEIU 503 attended a weekend training session in Salem to learn more about their new roles, how to engage their coworkers in our Union and interact and get to know fellow SEIU 503 member leaders. Congratulations to all the winners in our SEIU Local 503 sublocal elections!

City of Portland Has Free Air Conditioners for Qualifying Residents

Warmer weather is on its way and the city of Portland is 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.

For those outside the Portland area, the State of Oregon offers an Air Conditioner and Air Filter Deployment program for people currently or recently eligible for medical assistance. Go to the Oregon Health Authority website for more information.

Carina Registry

Looking for a new client to help you gain more benefits-eligible work hours up to the new 60 hours cap? Search and match with verified care clients now on Carina. Click here to learn how to get started!

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