Homecare Elections: The Count is In!

As you may recall, more than 900 undelivered ballots cast in the Homecare elections received at post office by the May 26 deadline were discovered two weeks ago, undelivered to our elections vendor. The SEIU 503 board of directors unanimously approved the Member Representation Committee’s recommendation to count those ballots this week. All ballots in this spring’s Homecare election have been counted and you can find the revised results here.

Congratulations to all the winners – we look forward to the great work you will do!

It’s Almost Time For Your 2,000-Hour Wage Increase Review!

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 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.

Hours will be reviewed by the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) beginning next week. ODHS will continue 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 this time, your hours worked will continue to accumulate and you will eventually qualify. Want more details? Check out this video! You can also find a list of answers to frequently asked questions here.

For questions, contact the SEIU Member Assistance Center at 844-503-SEIU (7348), or email contact@seiu503.org

Politics Matter: CAPE Candidate Interviews

This past weekend, dozens of union members who are involved with the CAPE (Citizen Action for Political Education) and COPE (Citizen Action for Political Education) programs came together in Portland to interview candidates for public office who are seeking our Union’s endorsement.  

The member leaders on the CAPE and COPE boards talked about issues affecting working families and how candidates can support workers if they are elected to office. During his address, CAPE statewide chair Ibrahim Coulibaly reminded the candidates that an SEIU endorsement means the candidates are expected to keep the interests of working families at the forefront of everything they do.

CAPE is supported by members who voluntarily contribute to elect pro-worker candidates to office. If you are not already a contributor to CAPE, you can help direct the future of Oregon politics by joining.

Care for the Caregiver: Employee Assistance Program

Caregiving is a tough job. We spend our days and nights caring for others, but how do you take care of yourself? Carewell’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Benefit can help you manage work-life stressors with services like mental health counseling, crisis support, and more. Check out the summary of benefits available to you here.

Around Our Union: Marion County Reaches a Settlement in Contract Bargaining

After six months of difficult negotiations, Marion County’s bargaining team was able to reach a settlement! This included dodging many employer threats of refusing any retro pay, and their attempt to walk away from the table. The bargaining team settled one of the best contracts in decades, with historically high monthly employer contributions to health insurance premiums and a 7% increase to wages over the two-year contract.

Marion County workers were able to get here through showing their unity in several ways including a bargaining petition that was delivered to the Board of Commissioners and by showing up over 100 strong in support of the bargaining team during one of the final sessions.

Union members will now vote on whether to accept the agreement next week.