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Korean: 함께 더욱 강하게 SEIU 775 뉴스레터 7월호
Russian: Наша сила — в единстве: июльская новостная рассылка от SEIU 775
Simplified Chinese: 团结使我们更强大：SEIU 775 7 月内部通讯
Spanish: Juntos somos más fuertes: El boletín informativo de SEIU 775 de julio
Vietnamese: Cùng Nhau Lớn Mạnh: Bản Tin Tháng 7 Của SEIU 775
SEIU 775 Caregivers,
We’ve been in the fight for tax fairness for more than 20 years. Since I started at our Union in 2002, I’ve joined caregivers at countless rallies, letter-writing campaigns, committee hearings, and everything in between. And now, Washington is finally going to tax the rich with the historic passage of the Millionaires Tax. That’s because of the work caregivers and our allies did – and continue to do.
Washington has had an upside-down tax code, where working people pay a larger portion of our paychecks than the richest do. The result? While billionaires and mega-millionaires avoid paying their share, lawmakers have told us every year that there’s not enough money in the pot for living wages for caregivers.
The new Millionaires Tax will mean billions of dollars for services like long-term care, and an end to sales taxes on things we buy every day. I’m proud to say that caregivers paved the way for it to pass. But we’re not at the end just yet – the ultra-wealthy are already doing everything they can to challenge the tax on our ballots later this year. We have a difficult battle ahead, but we’ve shown how powerful we are together. Let’s celebrate all that we’ve won – and let’s keep fighting.
In Solidarity,
Sterling Harders
SEIU 775 President
Protecting our care
My client and I were forced to leave Ukraine during the war. We lost everything – our home, belongings, friends, relatives.
My client is 73 years old, and dependent on me to remind her to eat, take her medication, and go to doctor’s appointments. Without care, her health will quickly decline. Because of horrific Medicaid cuts from the federal government, she is at risk of losing the care she relies on.
That is why I fought to protect her care – and care for all people in Washington – during the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session. I even spoke at a SEIU 775 rally in Olympia to protect immigrant care. It was my first time being a part of such a big rally, and I was so proud to stand alongside my Union siblings.
Because of our power, we won funding to stop care from being cut for many long-term care clients in Washington, and we made our communities safer by banning ICE from hiding their faces and by winning more protections on the job for immigrant workers.
We have much more work to do, over a thousand of our clients are still at risk of losing care on October 1, but these wins are proof that together, we are powerful.
– Nataliia B., caregiver, Vancouver, WA
Our work isn’t done. This summer, Trump’s administration took an extreme position to take care away from more people more quickly, which means the funding we won to protect care isn’t enough to cover everyone. That means thousands in Washington are set to lose their care, just because they’re immigrants.
Send a message to Washington State Governor Ferguson telling him to use emergency funds to fill in the gap for immigrant care here: seiu775.org/protectourcare
Montana caregivers win raises at the bargaining table
I’ve been a caregiver with Consumer Direct Care Network Montana for nearly a decade. I’m a proud member of our bargaining team – and I’m happy to say we ratified our second Union contract!
Before we organized our Union, I had asked for a raise every year when our employer did performance reviews. I was always given high marks, but time after time, I was still told ‘no.’ But when we organized, we all got raises. Paid Time Off was extended to all employees, after only being offered to a handful. Above all, we finally have a voice on the job.
Bargaining was a long but rewarding process. We bargained for six months before we reached a final agreement. But in the end, it was all worth it. We won wage increases, higher mileage reimbursement, more PTO, and increased on-call compensation. We also won protections for our data, reduced probationary periods, and bonuses.
Now, the work continues. A lot of the funding for our wages is decided by our lawmakers in the state budget. The election is coming up in November, and there are already so many ways to get involved. I’m fired up to start knocking doors and electing pro-caregiver candidates.
– Nic S., caregiver, Missoula, MT
Read your Union contract here: seiu775.org/contracts
Stronger together at the Alaska State Capitol
I’m from Big Lake, Alaska, and I’ve been a caregiver for more than 50 years. In the spring, I joined one of the SEIU 775 Purple Fly-Ins. It was my first time flying into Juneau to speak to our Alaska lawmakers, and I will never forget it.
From the first day, we were engaged, learning, and growing together. When we went to the Capitol, we went together with one voice and one purpose: to ask our leaders to make sure more money is in the budget for caregivers, to recognize the essential work we do.
Right now, too many caregivers are working two or even three jobs just to survive. We care for others while worrying about how to pay our own rent, buy our own groceries, and stay healthy enough to keep showing up. That is not sustainable. If caregivers cannot afford to stay in this field, people who need care will suffer.
A growing community of caregivers across Alaska are ready to fight — not just for ourselves, but for the people we care for. I want every caregiver to know: You matter. The heart you put into your work matters, as well as the many hours you work beyond the time you clocked out. I hope next year, even more of us speak out. Because when we are together, we are strong.
– Kandee M., caregiver, Big Lake, Alaska
Want to get involved? Reach out to your organizer to join our community.
Nursing Home workers stay united and win wage increases
I am a CNA at PACS in Richland, Washington, and I joined our bargaining team because staffing is a big problem, and I really wanted to see our wages come up. It was my first time on a bargaining team, and it was tough, but so worth it. Our employer made it difficult every step of the way – we were bargaining for eight months. But we didn’t give up! All of us, from across the state, stuck together, and it was awesome to feel a part of this big effort.
We are Nursing Home workers because we care, and we get the job done. We won wage increases for all PACS workers, and I hope that will help people to stay in their jobs and that we’ll be able to hire new people with more experience.
Me and my coworkers were willing to do whatever it took to win the contract that we deserve, even voting unanimously to hold an informational picket. I would encourage anyone who’s in bargaining to keep fighting, and don’t give up! Stay with the fight. We deserve it.
– Ana F., Nursing Home CNA, Richland, WA