Elmer, colleagues file ethics complaint against union

Rep. Lucetta Elmer on Friday filed an ethics complaint, along with Rep. Ed Diehl (Stayton), Rep. Christine Drazan (Canby) and others, accusing the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503 of knowingly submitting false and misleading constituent testimony in support of HB 3838.

The bill would create the Home and Community-Based Services Workforce Standards Board, a 13-member, governor-appointed group with authority to establish new minimum standards for workers in the home and community-based services sector.

SEIU Local 503 represents more than 72,000 homecare, nursing home and state agency workers, according to its website.

In the press release, the Republican legislators alleged that SEIU distributed around 1,000 pre-printed “constituent postcards” to legislators, each claiming to represent individual support for HB 3838.

“At least two individuals named on the cards have publicly and adamantly denied ever agreeing to support the bill,” they said.

The complaint states the union made a post on Facebook in April urging people to “Tell Oregon Lawmakers We Need Care Standards Now!” and directed people to sign a petition in support of a workforce standards board.

“Nothing in SEIU Local 503’s Facebook post identified HB 3838 by its bill number or, for that matter, provided any other indication that it referred to an actual — let alone specific — piece of legislation,” the complaint states.

The complaint also makes arguments that SEIU Local 503 fits the definition of a lobbyist, and thus falls under the guidance of ORS 171.764, “which prohibits false statements or misrepresentations to legislative officials by lobbyists,” the legislators said.

“Submitting testimony on someone’s behalf without their permission is not only wrong, it’s egregious,” Elmer said in the press release. “HB 3838 on its own is a huge overreach of power, giving unelected bureaucrats the authority that we as legislators have. And now, on top of that, we must question the tactics proponents have taken.”

The complaint requests that the Ethics Commission investigate the alleged violations and impose the maximum allowable penalties.