Roughly 50 Vancouver Housing Authority workers are getting 22% raises over three years under a new union contract.
The workers are represented by Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 11 and help Clark County residents access emergency shelters and permanent housing.
The new contract gave $2 per hour raises on Jan. 1, 2025. Workers will get a 4% raise on their anniversary date, 5% on Jan. 1, 2026, and another 5% on Jan. 1, 2027.
Current starting wages range from $21.38 to $27.29 per hour and max out at $38.20 per hour.
The contract also gives long-serving workers a longevity bonus every three years, while the previous contract gave those bonuses every five years.
Workers aren’t getting cost of living adjustments in addition to the 22% raises, but union representative Cheyenne Russell said the union negotiated to have a market study completed in 2027 and will be seeking cost of living increases in the future.
The workers previously had a merit-based pay structure, which gave 3% raises to employees who met standards on performance reviews and 5% raises to employees who exceeded standards. The new contract eliminated merit-based raises in favor of across-the-board raises, which the union said was a more equitable pay system.
Members ratified the contract in December. It runs through Dec. 31, 2027.
