This year, the member elected Bargaining Team set out to renegotiate the State Worker contract. Throughout the process, members gave their feedback through bargaining surveys, taken action through petitions, attended unity breaks and rallies, and connected through social media to get results on issues that mattered most.  Before it’s finalized members need to ratify contract by vote.  In order to vote on your contract or get access to member benefits, you must be a member of SEIU 503/ODFW Sub-Local 109. You can sign up online at any time, call us at 1-844-503-SEIU (7348), or speak to a union steward.

Tentative Agreement-SEIU 503 represented state workers:

• Across-the-board Raises- You’ll receive a 2.5% COLA effective December 1, 2021, and a 3.1% COLA in December 2022.  Note: Management’s initial proposal was a two year contract with a 2% raise in 2021, and a 1.85% raise in 2022. Due to the historic victories that the State saw this legislative session, SEIU members and our State Bargaining Team pressured management to do right by our members and put a better deal on the table. Thanks to the member participation and the actions they took to support bargaining, we won. The victories we made in raises this year, make the last two contract years some of the most successful in State worker history! Join SEIU 503/ODFW Sub-Local 109 today so we can continue pushing management on issues that impact you and your family.
• Steps- Steps both years of the contract, if you are not “topped out”.
• Remote Work & Alternate Schedules- Encourages working remotely where it is a viable option that benefits employee and agency; Cannot be arbitrarily denied or rescinded; Employees will have access to inclement weather leave language if a utility outage prohibits working remotely; Agency will provide necessary technology equipment and office supplies to employee working remotely. Employees will also be able to request any alternate schedule that works for them, and if certain criteria is met, the schedule will be approved.
• Insurance- No increases to health insurance premium shares, and our union made sure no additional health care costs were pushed to members through plan design, while also expanding access and affordability to fertility coverage and making advances in health equity
• COVID Hazard Pay- One-time payment for workers with at least 12 weeks of mandatory, non-telecommuting hours between 3/8/20 and 6/30/21, 480 – 1039 hours: $1050, 1040+ hours: $1550
• Holidays- Adds Juneteenth as a holiday, and expands use of “Special Day” to the entire calendar year; employees required to be on-call on a holiday will receive on-call pay at the holiday rate of pay.
• Essential Worker Differential- $1/hr. for employees required to work in person when situations exist that would otherwise allow employees to utilize inclement weather/hazardous conditions leave**.**  $1 per hour** does not*** apply* to employees whose primary job functions include responding to inclement weather/hazardous conditions, or who live at their work site.
• Inclement Weather/ Hazardous Conditions/Wildfire Protections- Improvements to essential employee and hazardous/inclement conditions leave; Adds protections for unsafe air quality; Protections for workers who lose access to their home due to natural disaster, and more!
• Benefits- In a year where healthcare has been on the mind of every individual and family, we held the line and fought to maintain member benefits as they are. Considering that the cost of healthcare goes up by 7% every year, keeping that benefit in place is a big victory.  For PERS, we held the line this year and were able to maintain the status quo. As for PEBB, we pushed to keep costs under 3.4% for 2022 and are expanding fertility coverage to include IVF and IUI procedures at the low cost shares our members benefit from on their plans. As fertility coverage is frequently not covered by health insurance plans, this is a big win for families, and those trying to conceive.
• Payroll Process Updates- Management heard from many of you about concerns around changes to payroll processes, we shared those concerns at the bargaining table as well. Ultimately, management realized they can’t move forward to bargain any changes until they have input from members. We’ve agreed to form a joint labor/management committee to explore impacts of any potential changes to the payroll process. If management wants to move forward they would have to bargain for those changes in our next contract cycle.
• ADA Accommodations- At employee’s request a steward may be present at meeting to discuss a worker’s ADA accommodation request
  Response due 30 days after all necessary documentation received by management
  Agency may notify employee of need for extension

Tentative Agreement-ODFW Specific Language

• Improve training and safety for CDL drivers at ODFW.
• Improve tenant’s rights and maintenance at agency-provided housing for ODFW employees.
• Make scheduling rules for ODFW’s Ocean Salmon and Columbia River Program permanent in the contract.
• Include $100 reimbursement for CDL certificate when testing is completed through a third-party examiner.