Health Care Interpreters work every day to help people in our communities get the care they need. To support this vital work, AFSCME Oregon Interpreters in Action (OIA) fought for and won funding to provide COVID relief payments to hundreds of HCIs who worked during the pandemic.
We are proud to announce that over $435,600 dollars was distributed through the Health Care Interpreters Fund. We are grateful to our partners at Oregon Worker Relief, who helped 363 certified HCIs apply for and receive the one-time, $1,200 bonus payment. This is just the beginning of what we can win together! OIA members like you are advocating for better pay and a state-based scheduling and billing system for Medicare and Medicaid appointments.
While we are celebrating this great win, we also recognize that these bonuses only provide temporary economic relief and that not all HCI received it. But our fight is still ongoing! This November, we are going back to contract negotiations with the State of Oregon over the $2 Million we advocated for and won during the legislative session.
We need your support and active participation in these efforts to keep moving forward. Here is how to get involved and become an AFSCME OIA member today!
- Sign a membership card! There are no union dues until we have a contract with the State of Oregon that is voted on by our membership. Click here and select "State Health Care Interpreters" as the "employer".
- Fill out this short form to stay updated with next steps, collective action, and future meetings!
- Join our next virtual meeting on Monday, October 23rd, at 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP.
