This year, our Union settled the best round of contracts in over a decade, winning meaningful wage increases and other important changes for tens of thousands of families in Oregon.

Malika Edden Hill, DHS: “We have won the most amazing COLAs (cost of living increases) that we’ve had in years, we also got a new top step, which is incredible, and for folks like me who haven’t been at the State for very long, it allows me think about longevity.”

Mike Powers, Department of Agriculture: “I support the new contract because it’s overdue compensation for all the hard work we do for Oregonians.”

State Contract Highlights

• State employees will see up to a 15% raise over the next two years as a result of cost of living adjustments (COLAs) and steps. Workers who are at the top steps of their salary range will see, on average, a 10% raise over the same period. It represents the largest step forward in public employee wages in a decade.

• A new top step for people who are topped out, which also provides more room for everyone to grow within their salary scale. We haven’t won a new top step in over a decade.

• No increase to healthcare premiums.

• And more.

All of this was made possible by SEIU 503 members who showed up and pushed this over the finish line.

A message from Steve Demarest, an employee of the Oregon Employment Department and current statewide president of SEIU 503: “If not the Union, then who? Nobody is out there advocating for working people in this country, except for working people. It has to be us, together in union, that fight for a better life.”