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A Service Employees International Union spokesperson announced today that employees of five Oregon nursing home companies are prepared to strike to win new contracts. The existing contracts between SEIU Local 503 and the companies expire tonight.
“SEIU members are prepared to take any actions necessary—including going on strike—to settle their contracts,” says the announcement distributed by SEIU. “As negotiations are slow with little progress and contracts set to expire at midnight, union members will notify management of their intent to take public action at worksites statewide.”
The five companies, which run dozens of facilities statewide, are Avamere, EmpRes, Volare, Sapphhire and Caldera Care.
SEIU reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with another nursing provider, the publicly traded PACS Group, that included a nearly $2 pay increase beginning Oct. 1.
As WW has previously reported, short-staffing is rampant at nursing homes across the state and federal authorities are contemplating solutions to address what is now a nationwide problem.
“Oregon’s care industry is in crisis,” reads the press release. “High turnover and understaffing make it difficult for staff who stay on the job to provide safe levels of care to residents, particularly our most vulnerable Oregonians in need of 24/7 care.”