(Left to Right) Barbara Byrd, Leigh Roberts, Sherman Henry, Steven Hecker, Gordon Lafer, Bob Bussel, Sarah Laslett, Deb Mailander and Jennifer Smith. (Photo courtesy of Nikki Rudiger)
Three key bills were passed for SEIU Local 503 members during Oregon’s 2024 legislative session in March, which include Senate Bill 1595, House Bill 4129 and House Bill 4045.
SB 1595, or the Family Financial Protection Act, plans to change laws surrounding debt collection, paying off debt and improving protections for consumers. The bill looks to increase bank protection after a history of poor debt collection practices and increase certain exemptions from garnishment and execution.
SEIU 503 homecare member John Salazar reportedly lost large sums of money without actually being in debt. His bank account was wiped out without warning and it took him over two months to get his income recouped. This caused panic during those months as he tried to pay bills to survive and not risk losing his house.
“It was just kind of out of nowhere,” Salazar said. “What I found out at the end was that what the debt collectors had done was technically illegal and incorrect, and I was fortunate — I got my money back.”
Salazar said that his unfortunate situation could have happened to anybody, and there was no safety net for Oregonians. Now, he is more at ease with the cushion of money provided through the bill and is grateful for the repetition of his story that possibly helped persuade the legislators’ decision.
“It blew my mind that I could have my account garnished without having an actual legitimate debt,” Salazar said. “But now, I do feel like if something like that was to ever happen again, I would at least have the peace of mind of knowing that there is a cushion and that I can fight it.”
HB 4129, or the Homecare Modernization Act, was aimed to modernize the union’s homecare system. It addresses human relations issues such as late or inaccurate pay for workers that have often led to financial hardships. The bill also looks to better connect providers with its consumers.
As stated in the bill, immediate actions for homecare services will include the implementation of “agency with choice” services. This would require no more than two agencies to provide these services to individuals with disabilities or older adults.
This bill was the top priority for SEIU 503, and according to homecare worker Angela Jelley, it was very important to all healthcare workers in the state. Jelley stated that, in the past, she often didn’t get paid on time, and the 2 to 3-week delay would cause issues when her monthly bills were due.
“SEIU now gives me a way to not just complain about that, but to actually file a grievance,” Jelley said. “That’s part of our contract now. I didn’t have that before. When I wouldn’t get paid on time, I just didn’t get paid. That was it.”
HB 4045 was passed as the Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act of 2024, which will put many workers under the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System and support high-risk members’ safety at the Oregon State Hospital.
Most notably, the act will provide greater support in safety and recognition for employees in addition to lowering the retirement age for some police and firefighters. SEIU Local 503 Political Director Courtney Graham said that this comes from recognizing the physical and mental tolls their bodies take over the years and that an individual in their position can’t work as long compared to other jobs.
“We joined together with the firefighters, the DAs, the forensic techs from the Oregon State Police and sort of created this coalition to come together and say, ‘Let’s do an omnibus bill that is like a package of reforms,’” Graham said. “Our little part of this bill is something that our members at the Oregon State Hospital have been working on for 20 years.”
These bills come in addition to key budget investments that the union won, all of which were made possible through the advocacy and support of SEIU Local 503 members and its community.
