OPEIU Local 11

06/01/2026

Please see the notice below for our June General Membership Meeting. The QR code is attached to the redline for our Constitution changes for review, which will be voted on by membership at the Meeting on June 9th.

05/28/2026

https://cwclc.org/news/donate-now-help-nippon-dynawave-workers-and-their

While our community grapples with the recent Nippon Dynawave implosion, organized Labor is stepping up to help workers and families impacted by the tragedy.

05/27/2026

OPEIU Local 11 members, please join us for this MEMBERS ONLY ice cream social during our June General Membership Meeting. Our new Solidarity Committee will serve up ice cream, popsicles, and other similar cold & sweet treats. Plus, our monthly raffle for $25 Visa gift cards will still take place, so you could win an extra prize to pair with your cone!

05/04/2026

Employers don’t get to pick and choose when to follow the law.

They have a clear obligation to work collaboratively with unions to ensure employees with disabilities are treated fairly and provided reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state laws. That means engaging in a good-faith interactive process…not delay, denial, or silence.

When employers refuse to do this, there are consequences. Grievances. Arbitration. State and federal enforcement through agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Civil liability. Financial penalties. And court-ordered compliance.

We are seeing what happens when employers ignore these responsibilities. At the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington, a majority of union members took a vote of no confidence in management after ongoing concerns about workplace practices, including how disability accommodations were handled.

This is what breakdown looks like when employers refuse to follow the law and work with the union.

Collaboration is not optional. Compliance is not optional. Respecting workers’ rights is not optional.

A majority of unionized workers for the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington took a vote of no confidence Monday in the leadership of Human Resources Director Lois Chaun

05/04/2026

04/30/2026

Exciting news! Last week the staff at BeneSys Tukwila/Seattle asked their employer for voluntary recognition. All 12 of the union-eligible employees in the office signed onto a letter announcing their unionization with OPEIU Local 11. BeneSys HR says they will respond to the request by May 4, and we're optimistic that workers will receive recognition. After all, BeneSys provides third-party administration for union Taft-Hartley trust funds -- many that our members in union offices benefit from -- so it just makes sense that the workers supporting union members are union members themselves!

Once recognized, this will be the second unit of BeneSys workers we represent. Already, we have a unit of about 30 workers at the BeneSys Portland office.

04/20/2026

Please see below for information pertaining to the OPEIU Student Debt Reduction Program. A clickable link to the form is available here: https://form.jotform.com/260715109201142

04/06/2026

OPEIU Local 11 is moving and shaking! As we shift to a more organizing-focused model under Howard Bell's leadership, we've added about 200 new members, grown our steward program, and seen lots more member involvement. We've even started to open bargaining up to all members to observe, so they can see what goes into negotiations. Read more about the changes in the Northwest Labor Press article below:

Re-elected unopposed, OPEIU Local 11 leader Howard Bell touts growth, stronger contracts, and a union finding its footing under his watch.