We had our most recent bargaining session with the State on August 5th. With the legislative session and budget finalized last month, we came into Monday’s session ready to make meaningful progress on wages and benefits. 

Our team proposed:

• $.40/hour increase starting on January 1, 2020
• $.75/hr increase starting August 1, 2020 – this larger increase would create an opportunity for homecare and personal support workers to fund their participation in the Oregon Saves retirement program- the first step in a meaningful retirement plan.
• Develop a new Referral and Retention tool to better meet the match-making needs of Workers and Consumers.

The State has yet to provide us a counter proposal on wages and benefits that reflects the money allocated by the Legislature to fund improvements in our contract. The State’s lack of movement is unacceptable. Our next bargaining session is August 19th. It’s time the State comes to the table with a proposal that makes the investments homecare and personal support workers deserve. State decision makers need to hear from all of us over the coming weeks about the importance of settling a fair contract – one that includes raising the base rate to at least $15/hr while also funding a pathway to retirement through the Oregon Saves program.

Click here to share your story with state decision makers about why homecare and personal support workers deserve a pathway to a meaningful retirement.