SEIU 503 members are preparing for picketing as disagreements over wages and health care costs remain unresolved.
Marion County employees represented by SEIU 503 have authorized a strike after contract negotiations ended without a new agreement, escalating a labor dispute that could eventually affect county services if workers walk off the job.
Members of the Marion County Employees Association voted to authorize the strike Sept. 8. The authorization does not automatically begin a work stoppage, but it gives the union the ability to move toward one as negotiations remain unsettled.
The bargaining unit covers most Marion County employees who are not represented by nursing or law enforcement unions. Their previous collective bargaining agreement ran through June 30.
At the center of the dispute are wages and health insurance costs.
Both sides have proposed a 2% cost-of-living increase for the current contract year and another 2% increase beginning July 1, 2027. The disagreement is over when the first increase takes effect. The union wants the 2% increase retroactive to July 1, while the county’s proposal would begin the increase after a new agreement is ratified.
Health care has become the larger dividing line.
Marion County currently contributes $1,846 per month toward health insurance premiums for MCEA employees, with employees paying different amounts depending on the medical and dental plans they select.
The union wants to prevent employees’ health care costs from increasing. The county’s latest proposal would increase its contribution by $50 during the 2026 plan year, another $204 beginning in January 2027 and another $150 beginning in January 2028.
SEIU has argued those increases may not be enough to protect workers from future premium increases. The county’s proposal would increase the amount it pays toward coverage, but future employee costs will depend on insurance rates and the plans workers select.
The two sides are closer on some other contract terms. Their latest proposals include the same longevity protections beginning in January 2028 and increases in vacation accrual worth roughly three to four additional days per year, depending on an employee’s tier.
SEIU said bargaining ended Sept. 8 with no additional sessions scheduled. The county had told the union it intended to put its last, best and final offer into effect Sept. 13.
The dispute now moves into a more public phase.
SEIU is asking employees and supporters to attend the Marion County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday at 9 a.m. at 555 Court St. NE in Salem. The meeting includes a public comment period, although no vote on the labor contract is scheduled on the posted agenda.
The union has also told members that picketing will begin Sept. 22 and is organizing workers for picket shifts and strike preparation.
A strike authorization is not the same as a strike. Employees remain in the preparation stage unless the union formally calls a work stoppage.
For Marion County, the next several days could determine whether the dispute returns to the bargaining table or moves closer to employees leaving their jobs for the picket line.