POLITICAL
Our Commitment to Social Justice
SEIU Local 49 members are committed to social, racial, and economic justice. We work hard to campaign for candidates and pass laws that improve the lives of working families in our region and around the country. There are many ways members can get involved.
Contribute to our Committee On Political Education (COPE) Fund. It’s the easiest way to make a difference. Combine your money with 2 million other members to really make an impact!
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Take Action
Oregon & Washington Work Hazard Forms
Staffing Complaint Form
Submit Your Staffing Story -
Contribute to COPE
You can impact key issues in our communities with your contribution!
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Legislator Score Cards
Get informed on the voting records of our state legislators.
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SEIU 49 Candidate Endorsement Process
What the video on how we come together and chose who we endorse each political season.
Our Priority Issues
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Hospitals, clinics, and skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) are only as strong as the people who work, day in and day out, to support patients and residents. Staffing shortages decrease quality outcomes for patients and increase the risk of worker injuries, burnout, and low job satisfaction.
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When workers are able to join together in a union, everyone benefits. Full-time women workers in unions earn 30% more than their non-union counterparts, and Black union workers are 13% more likely to have health care than non-union workers. These benefits support workers and their families to be more financially stable, and access to improved training and benefits also contributes to better outcomes at work.
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Access to quality, affordable, equitable health care is a human right. Thanks to Oregon’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act, about 5-6% of Oregonians lack access to health insurance, a historic low. However, it is clear that our health care system does not work for many Oregonians. We continue to close this gap to ensure that everyone has access and to work for changes that improve health equity.
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70,000 Oregonians – nearly the population of Medford – work in caregiving and personal support jobs, providing services to seniors, people with disabilities, and children. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant gaps in long-term care and support staffing and in emergency planning and preparedness, as well as the lack of transparency about outcomes. These gaps affect consumers and families as well as caregivers and support staff, including those in facilities and home settings. Now is the time for bold action to address these challenges.
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Oregon state and local governments should create policies and laws to raise job quality standards, benefit working Oregonians and their families, strengthen our economy, and reduce the risk to state and local governments that contract for janitorial, private security, and laundry/uniform services.
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Every aspect of the state budget impacts SEIU members and their families, no matter where they work or live, whether it’s for a state agency or for a hospital or nursing home. We fight for a state budget that supports working families.
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Our universities have misplaced their priorities, choosing to focus on administrative bloat, athletics, and capital construction projects over providing a quality, affordable education and good jobs.
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Public sector jobs are some of the last remaining jobs that provide a secure retirement and good health care benefits. Tens of thousands of Oregon families are better off as a result. That’s worth fighting for.
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Climate Justice, Fair Shot for All (Economic Justice), Public Safety Reform and Police Accountability
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President Biden’s Build Back Better plan presents us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fundamentally change the lives of millions of Americans, lift families out of poverty, and build a recovery that centers working people, people of color, women, immigrants, seniors, and people with disabilities.
