Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
AFSCME Local 328 members who work at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new labor contract, putting them on track to set a $25 minimum wage for workers by 2028. The members work in a wide range of jobs, from patient care to administration to food services.
Of the 4,730 members who voted, some 84% voted to approve the agreement, which immediately raises the minimum wage for union members from $18 to $20, with additional raises up to $25 just before the contract’s mid-2028 expiration date. The contract also includes across-the-board raises for members of between 3% and 4% annually for each of the next three years, and a $4,500 ratification bonus.
“Our $25 minimum wage will set a new standard for the city of Portland and the broader labor movement,” the union said on its blog. “Other unions will build on our wins in the same way our contract builds on the work of those who came before us.”