After months of bargaining, Avamere Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) won their first contract! This is the first group of LPNs EVER to win a union contract in Oregon’s nursing home industry.
Nursing home leaders achieved a goal that nursing home union members have fought for for years; an actual career ladder at Avamere from an entry level unlicensed caregiver to specialized LPN positions under one contract.
Hundreds of LPNs will now be part of our union family and have full access to union rights and benefits, such as drastically improved (and cheaper) healthcare, extra shift and longevity bonus and groundbreaking safety protections that are the strongest we know of in any union contract anywhere.
In a huge win for equity in the workplace, LPNs now have a wage scale where all workers will have their full licensed years of LPN experience counted. Currently, there are many Avamere LPSs, nearly all women, not only being paid far less than what they are worth, but also paid less than new hires. Marci, a member of the Avamere LPN bargaining team, has 16 years of experience, but was paid nearly the same as a brand new nurse. Once ratified, the new contract will move Marci to Step 15 of the wage scale, from $39 to $46.66 an hour. Read more examples of how LPNs will be placed on the new wage scale.
Once ratified, SEIU’s LPNs will earn wages and benefits that in many cases are better than similar positions in other nursing home and hospital workplaces. Click here for the ratification voting schedule — our new contract will not take effect until we vote to ratify it
Congratulations to the Avamere LPN bargaining team and to all LPNs, who stuck together and took action to win this ground-breaking contract!
Download the Tentative Agreement
Download the existing Avamere Contract
Key economic highlights:
- Average raise (%): 9.2%
- Average raise ($): $3.43 per hour
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- Full-time equivalent of more than $7,134 per year
- One in five LPNs will receive more than a 15% raise
- Average raise for workers with more than 10 years of licensed experience: 12.7%
- Average raise for workers in rural facilities: 10.4%
- Largest raise (%): 32.5%
- Largest raise ($): $10.66 per hour
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- Full-time equivalent of more than $22,172 per year
Affordable quality healthcare
Depending on where you live, workers may have a choice of two programs: an HMO program with Kaiser Permanente, or traditional coverage with Regence PPO and OptumRx networks.
Read more about the plan at https://essentialworkerhealth.org
Average raises by facility:
| Facility name | Average Percent Increase |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Eugene | 17.8% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Junction City | 13.6% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Coos Bay | 13.4% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Lebanon | 13.1% |
| Avamere Riverpark of Eugene | 12.8% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Newport | 12.5% |
| Avamere Court at Keizer | 11.7% |
| The Pearl at Kruse Way | 9.5% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Clackamas | 8.3% |
| Laurelhurst Village | 7.8% |
| Salem Transitional Care | 7.4% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Oregon City | 7.4% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of King City | 7.4% |
| Avamere Transitional Care at Sunnyside | 7.3% |
| Avamere at Three Fountains/Waterford | 7.2% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Hillsboro | 6.9% |
| Avamere Crestview of Portland | 6.7% |
| Ohana-Harmony House/Bend Transitional Care | 6.0% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Beaverton | 5.9% |
| Avamere Rehabilitation of Rogue Valley (Avamere Health Services of Rogue Valley) | 5.4% |
| Grand Total | 9.2% |
Wage scale placement examples
New Hire |
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An LPN with less than a year of licensed experience in Oregon and less than a year of seniority at Avamere is currently being paid $33 dollars an hour. As of ratification, the LPN would move to step 0, $34.25 per hour. |
16 years experience: Marci |
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Marci McWilliams has more than 16 years of licensed experience and currently receives $39.00 per hour as a charge nurse. Based on seniority, Marci would be placed on the top step of the scale (Step 15) at $46.66 per hour. |
Less than one year experience, middle of scale: Lisa |
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Lisa Pasiechnik has less than a year of licensed experience and currently receives $38.62 per hour as a charge nurse. Based on seniority, Lisa would be placed on the bottom step of the scale (Step 0) at $34.25 per hour. To ensure a minimum raise of 3% and step placement, Lisa moves to the next closest step on the scale that guarantees at least a 3% raise ($1.16) from Lisa’s current pay ($38.62): Step 7 at $40.32 per hour. |
One year experience, step 1: Mestawet |
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Mestawet Sime has one year of licensed experience and currently receives $35.00 per hour as a charge nurse. Based on seniority, Mestawet would be placed on Step 1 at $35.11 per hour. To ensure a minimum raise of 3% and step placement, Mestawet moves to the next closest step on the scale that guarantees at least a 3% raise ($1.05) from Mestawet’s current pay ($35.00): Step 3 at $36.88 per hour. |
33 years experience, over scale, Charlene |
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Charlene Carey has 33 years of licensed experience and receives $47.00 per hour as a charge nurse. Based on seniority, Charlene would be placed on the top step of the scale (Step 15) at $46.66 per hour. Because no step high enough exists to guarantee a minimum raise of 3%, Charlene receives a flat 3% from their current pay (+$1.41) and remains over-scale. |
Ratification voting schedule
Our new contract won’t take effect until LPNs vote to ratify it. Get questions answered and cast your vote at meetings in the break room during the AM and PM shift changes on the following days:
Monday, November 27
Avamere Beaverton, Avamere STC, Avamere Lebanon, Coos Bay, Avamere Laurelhurst
Tuesday, November 28
Avamere OR City, Avamere Sunnyside, Eugene Rehab, Rogue Valley, Avamere King city, Pearl
Wednesday, November 29
Avamere Clackamas, Junction City, Keizer Campus, Three fountains, Crestview
Thursday, November 30
RiverPark, Avamere Bend, Avamere Hillsboro, Avamere Newport