Published
December 18, 2025
On June 20, 2025, eight Oregon House Republicans submitted a formal complaint to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, accusing the executive director of SEIU Local 503, Melissa Unger, of submitting false or misleading constituent testimony in support of House Bill (HB) 3838.
HB3838 would have established a Home and Community-Based Services Workforce Standards Board to set pay, training, and staffing standards for home care workers. In other words, a sectoral bargaining arrangement that would allow the SEIU to dictate terms to the industry even if none of the workers involved joined a union. This is similar to the Fast Food Workers Council the SEIU established in California that has led to thousands of layoffs.
The legislation died in the 2025 legislative session. However, the SEIU had described the legislation as the union’s “top priority” and lobbied for its passage. As part of that campaign, the SEIU sent approximately 1,000 identical, pre-printed postcards to legislators, each purporting to represent personalized support. At least two individuals named on those postcards later stated they never submitted or authorized that testimony.
Under Oregon lobbying and ethics law, it’s illegal to knowingly submit false information when attempting to influence legislation. The Republican lawmakers say this coordinated postcard campaign falsely manufactured public support for HB 3838.
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is further investigating whether this complaint has merit as SEIU Local 503 has been informed they face an ethics investigation.
Since this bill is SEIU’s “top priority,” there is no doubt it will be brought up in the 2026 legislative session. With an ethics investigation underway, legislators may once again tell the union “no thanks.”
About the author
Michael Billet
Michael Billet, director of policy research for Employment Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, keeps members and internal Chamber policy staff abreast of pending labor, immigration, and health care legislation, as well as federal regulatory and subregulatory activities. He is also responsible for planning the Chamber’s annual workplace and community wellness forum.
