SEIU 503

To opt out of SEIU 503 dues:

Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
Sign and date the form.
Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: SEIU 503 has arbitrarily decided to only allow homecare and personal support workers to opt out during a 15-day period each year. The 15-day window is different for each worker and is based on the date you first signed an SEIU 503 membership form.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 503 is the designated union for public services and care providers, representing 72,000 people across Oregon.

For years, homecare and personal support workers were required to pay union dues to SEIU 503 as a condition of employment and the state automatically deducted union dues from workers’ Medicaid reimbursement checks.

However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2014 decision in Harris v. Quinn, homecare and personal support workers can now demand that SEIU 503 cease withholding union dues/fees from their state paychecks.

The court referred to the requirement for partial-public employees like homecare and personal support workers to pay union dues as a money-making “scheme” for the union and ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated workers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send my resignation to the union?

You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.

In most cases, union dues are automatically deducted from employees’ paychecks. Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. If the deductions continue for more than a couple pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.

Finally, keep in mind:

Opting out is your constitutional right. However, unions like SEIU 503 sometimes place restrictions on when they will accept opt-out requests. If the union refuses to immediately cancel dues deductions from your pay, ask them to provide you with written documentation and contact us for assistance.

How much are SEIU Local 503 dues?

According to federal filings, union dues for SEIU 503 are 1.7% of members’ gross wages, plus a flat fee of $2.75 per month. In 2020, the average member paid $625 in dues.

Can I still work for state-paid clients and receive state Medicaid reimbursements if I opt out of paying dues to SEIU 503?

Yes. Under state law, the union contract for homecare and personal support workers is binding on all workers in the state, regardless of whether they want to be union represented and regardless of whether they choose to pay union dues. Opting out of paying dues will in no way affect your ability to serve state-paid clients or receive Medicaid reimbursements from the state.

If I stop paying dues to the union, will I still receive the same wages and benefits specified in SEIU 503's contract with the state?

Yes. SEIU 503 has arranged to be the “exclusive bargaining representative” for all homecare and personal support workers in the state, meaning that it is impossible for workers to get out of the terms of the contract, even if they cease paying dues. Your state reimbursement rates and benefits will be the same whether you are a member of the union or not.

If I resign from the union and stop paying dues, will I still be able to obtain health benefits through the Oregon Homecare Workers Supplemental & Benefits Trust?

Yes. All active homecare and personal support workers who are covered by a Trust-approved health plan are eligible to participate in the Oregon Homecare Workers Supplemental & Benefits Trust. More information about eligibility requirements can be found on the Trust’s website. The union does not provide your health insurance.

If I stop paying dues, will I still be able to attend the training provided by the Oregon Home Care Commission?

Yes. The training is paid for by the Home Care Commission and Department of Human Services. The Home Care Commission has confirmed that its classes “are available and free to anyone with an active state provider number” and that “union membership is not a factor in either attendance or payment of the stipend.

How will my relationship with the union change if I resign my membership in SEIU 503 and stop paying dues?

While the terms of SEIU 503’s contract will still apply to you and your relationship with your client and the state will remain unchanged as a nonmember of SEIU 503, you will no longer be able to participate in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, participating in contract ratification votes or voting for union officers.

How does SEIU 503 spend my dues money?

SEIU 503

SEIU 503 does not function like a traditional union. It cannot represent providers in workplace disputes or grievances, because homecare and personal support workers have an employer-employee relationship with their clients, not the state. The core of SEIU 503’s activity involves negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the state once every few years.

Despite its limited role, SEIU 503 paid nearly 200 last year and, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Department of Labor, collected $26.7 million in dues and fees from its members in 2020.

In that year alone:

$6.9 million went to the SEIU headquarters in Washington, D.C. to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. SEIU regularly supports a host of controversial organizations such as Planned Parenthood, which received $50,000 from the SEIU headquarters in 2019.
$1.1 million was spent by SEIU 503 on political activity and lobbying.
$32,731 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
$233,084 was spent on meeting venues and travel for union staff.
$567,301 was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
$15,151 was spent on food and catering.

SEIU 503 paid 190 officers and employees in 2020, 30 of whom were paid six figures. Public sector director Molly Malone received $128,555.

SEIU 503 has a cash stockpile of $3.7 million. Of that amount, $960,000 was accumulated just in the year 2020.

SEIU 503’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by SEIU 503 members goes to support the SEIU Oregon State Council.

SEIU Oregon State Council

The State Council collected $260,701 from its local affiliates in fiscal year 2021.

$38,673 million was spent by the State Council on political activity and lobbying.
$10,018 was spent on private attorneys.

The State Council paid four employees in 2021. Its political organizer, Alberto Gallegos, received $79,371. Also, the State Council holds $700,900 in cash reserves.

SEIU Oregon State Council’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by SEIU 503 members goes to support the SEIU headquarters.

SEIU Headquarters

The SEIU headquarters collected $255 million from its affiliates in 2020. In that year alone:

$60 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
$2.9 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This includes $410,000 donated to the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing, anti-capitalist organization that grew out of the Nicaragua Network, which supported the Communist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
$2.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. SEIU’s hotel expenses included a $398,000 bill from a four-star resort in San Diego.
$26.5 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
$150,000 was spent on food and catering.

SEIU paid 583 employees in 2020, 295 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU’s international president, Mary Kay Henry, was paid $297,126.

SEIU’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.