I got an email at work from Opt Out Today… what is that?

“Opt Out Today” is what the Freedom Foundation is calling itself when it communicates with union members. The reason for the sudden name change may be that state workers know that the Freedom Foundation is an organization dedicated to shrinking government, eliminating public services jobs, and cutting our retirement and health care benefits.

Why was the Freedom Foundation able to email our work addresses?

The Freedom Foundation has been working hard to get your personal information for years. Recently, they filed a Freedom of Information request for the names, work location, and work email information for SEIU 503 represented workers in state and local government and at Oregon’s seven public universities.

What are we doing to stop this form of harassment?

Our union leaders are meeting with government officials to discuss appropriate email use, and hopefully get the Freedom Foundation blocked from spamming state workers in the future. You can help by forwarding the “Opt out” email to HR and demanding that this organization’s emails be blocked to prevent future wasteful communications.

Why do SEIU 503 membership forms commit people to a year of membership?

Like any family’s budget, our union’s budget is based on having a reliable revenue source—we need to be able to plan our resource allocation for the year so we know how much money we have to spend on bargaining for better wages and benefits, protecting PERS in the legislature, and other important programs.

Is SEIU 503 letting workers know that they’re signing up for a year-long commitment?

Absolutely. In addition to the written language on the membership form (both the paper and online versions), member leaders and organizers do their very best to communicate to members that they’re signing up for a one-year commitment when they join.

Can I cancel my membership or pay less in dues?

Public workers have the option of dropping membership. But here’s why it’s important to stay in the union: SEIU 503 is there for us when we expect it least and need it most, when we are falsely accused of something or wrongly terminated. And of course, we know that in states where more public employees remain members of the union, salaries are higher for all employees because the union has the power to negotiate from a position of strength.

Because our union needs to plan our budget for the year, our membership cards require an annual commitment of either membership or paying a non-member fee equivalent to a dues payment. So if you cancel your membership, you would immediately lose your access to membership advantages (like free life insurance), your voice in the contracts that affect your pay and benefits, and your vote for the union leaders who negotiate those contracts, but you would continue to pay a fee that’s the same amount as your dues until you reach the anniversary of when you signed your membership card. For more information, call the Member Resource Center at 844.503.SEIU.