Homecare, Personal Support & Personal Care Attendants2025 Tentative Agreement SummaryArticle 3 – Duration

• Two-year agreement.
• Contract expires June 30, 2027.

Article 8 – Payroll Systems

• End the requirement for Personal Support Workers (PSWs) to submit timesheets with signatures.

Article 10 – Carewell Registry

• The Carewell registry replaced the Oregon Home Care Commission.
• Transitioning from the outdated state registry to Carina, a more modern and accessible platform.
• The Registry is not intended to be used by private sector homecare agencies.

Article 14 – Service Payments

• Wage Increases of $3 over the life of the contract
  • $1.25/hour raise starting January 1, 2026
  • $1.75/hour raise starting January 1, 2027
• These increases are on top of the step raises won in our previous contract.
• By July 1, 2027, about half of Providers will be earning at least $25/hour.

Step Schedule

Professional Development Certification (PDC) Training Differential

• As of July 1st, 2026, the PDC differential increases from .75c to $1.25 an hour.
• Providers need to complete 36 hours of PDC training to get the differential.

Article 14.3 – Service Payments for Personal Care Attendants

• As of January 1st, 2027, the Mental Health Enhanced Differential for Personal Care Attendants will be $1.00 per hour.
• The Mental Health Enhanced Differential can be combined with the PDC Differential.

Article 15 – Travel Time, Transportation and Mileage Reimbursement

• On January 1st, 2026, the transportation mile rate will increase from .56c to .70c per mile, which matches the Federal mileage reimbursement rate.
• Parking reimbursement submissions will not be denied for being too far from the Consumer’s home if:
  • The parking was within one mile of the Consumer’s home, or
  • The expense occurred while the Consumer was receiving services in the community where services occur for the day and free parking is not available.
• For parking reimbursement, the provider will need to submit a timestamped picture of the paid parking meter if the machine doesn’t provide a receipt.

Article 28 – Language Access

• No later than January 1st, 2027:
  • The State or Case Management Entity will provide translated task lists or IPS to individuals upon request by the Provider.
  • The OHCC will translate any OHCC-created documents in Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese and make them available on the OHCC website.
  • The ODHS/OHA Background Check Unit will translate and make available background check information in those same languages upon Provider’s request.
  • The State shall provide a phone number (in an insert) that Providers can call to receive an explanation, in their preferred language, of material regarding enrollment or other issues requiring Provider action.

Holidays

• 4 New Paid Holidays Added:
  • New Year’s Eve on December 31st
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the 3rd Monday in January
  • Juneteenth on June 19th
  • Veterans Day on November 11th

LOA – Supplemental, Benefit and Training Trust

• The State increased financial contributions so that Supplemental and Benefits Trusts remain intact.
• Starting in January, the annual cap for Paid Time Off (PTO) will increase from 48 hours to 60 hours per year.

LOA – Substitute Providers & Gap Pay for All Provider Types

• A committee will be created to discuss:
  • Pathways to a substitute provider pool in Carina
  • Gap pay in the event that a Consumer is hospitalized or in a rehabilitation facility for an extended period
• The Committee will provide recommendations to the State and Union bargaining teams for future negotiations.

LOA – PSW Remittance Advice

• On December 31st, 2025, the State will move to an electronic paper remittance advice system.
• Employees who want to continue receiving paper remittances will need to opt-in.
• Within 90 days of contract ratification, PSWs shall be given the option to opt-in for paper remittance advice. SEIU will assist in drafting this notice.
• The State will notify PSWs three times about the paper option:
  • Twice before 12/31/25
  • Once after 12/31/25
• New PSWs will be offered the option at New Employee Orientations.

LOA – EVV Exemption for Providers who Reside with the Consumer

• The State and Union will explore a pathway to exempt PSWs, PCAs, and HCWs from EVV for those residing with the consumer.
• By April 2026, the State will report findings to the Union and highlight any roadblocks.
• The parties will discuss potential solutions.
• On June 1st, 2026, the State intends to implement the EVV exemption.

LOA – Marketing

• Agencies are committed to implementing marketing guidelines and activities that do not violate consumer choice when providing neutral information about selecting preferred providers.

LOA – Indoor Animal Care

• New contractual right:
  • Providers may choose to provide animal care when it’s part of the approved ADL/IADL support on the task list or service agreement.
  • Providers may choose not to accept animal care tasks.
• The animals must be the consumers’ and live in the consumers’ homes.
• No additional hours will be authorized for animal care.

LOA – Professional and Continuing Education Program Improvements

• Agreement reached on an interim process to improve access and information to PACE training from the OHCC, making it more accessible for all providers going forward.