Oregon’s largest union officially re-affiliated with the Oregon AFL-CIO on Dec. 18, sealing a major expansion for the statewide labor federation.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503 President Johnny Earl and Executive Director Melissa Unger will represent Local 503 on the Oregon AFL-CIO executive board, bringing the board up to 34 members.
“In the midst of so many challenges and imminent threats federally, Oregon labor and the progressive fabric of Oregon really has the responsibility to hold the line even further and ensure that Oregon values and Oregon workers are protected and safeguarded in the midst of everything,” Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor told the Labor Press in December.
Unger will be one of 11 vice presidents on the board, joining representatives from the building trades council and unions representing school employees, firefighters, food and commercial workers, machinists, public employees, electricians, and other workers.
Local 503 has more than 45,000 members working in nursing homes, state agencies, and in-home caregiving. The Oregon AFL-CIO is funded by per-member dues paid by affiliated unions, so SEIU Local 503’s reaffiliation is a boon for the federation’s budget.
The re-affiliation has been in the works for around a year and a half, Trainor said.
“SEIU 503’s decision to rejoin the Oregon AFL-CIO strengthens the foundation of our shared commitment and reinforces our collective commitment to economic, social and racial justice for every working Oregonian. Together, we’re building a labor movement that cannot be ignored,” Trainor said at a Nov. 13 press conference announcing the reaffiliation.
The labor federation campaigns for pro-worker candidates and ballot measures, lobbies in the state legislature, acts as a liaison between workers and government assistance programs, trains union organizers, and assists affiliated unions during bargaining or strikes through help with research, graphic design, and mobilizing picket line support.
This is a transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars of SEIU 503 member dues and those 45,000 members did not get to vote on this.