CORVALLIS, Ore. - Nearly 600 health-care workers in the Willamette Valley are celebrating their success in negotiations with their employers.

Members of Service Employees International Union Local 49 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis and nearby Albany General Hospital settled a new contract that includes major wage increases.

Emergency room technicians, housekeepers and dietary staff are among the 600 employees included in the contract.

Dafne DeSautel is a certified nursing assistant at Good Samaritan. She said she and her co-workers are pleased with the outcome and it comes at the right time.

"Grocery is going up, cost of living is going up, so they're happy to get some raise," said DeSautel. "We're getting at least 8% on the first of the year."

The average wage increase for Good Samaritan workers is 18% over the life of the contract through 2024. At Albany General Hospital, the average increase is 23% percent, so that employees at both hospitals receive equitable pay.

DeSautel said the increases, which are also for starting wages, are key for retaining and recruiting workers. She said Good Samaritan has been understaffed as the pandemic has trudged on.

The virus is taking a heavy toll on health-care workers as shortages nationwide pile up.

DeSautel said she's proud to work at Good Samaritan and still takes the time to go above and beyond for her patients.

"When I take care of this patient, I always look at them that it could be my father, my husband, my uncle, my son," said DeSautel. "So, even though we're so busy, I have to take the time to give them the quality of care that they deserve."

DeSautel said they are continuing to work to make health-care for workers more affordable.

Workers in Michigan won major victories recently as a minimum-wage increase and employer paid sick time program were reinstated by court order.

In 2018, petitioners succeeded in placing a minimum-wage increase along with an earned-sick-time provision on the November ballot. In turn, the Michigan Legislature passed the measures in September to avoid a vote on the referendums, then in a lame-duck session in December the Legislature amended the bills, delaying the wage increase and denying the full hourly rate to tipped workers. The sick-time provision also was changed.

Last month, a Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled amending the original bills was a violation of the state constitution, and the $12 minimum wage will now be instituted in February.

Alicia Renee Farris, chief operations officer of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, helped organize the ballot initiative and is calling it a victory for Michigan workers.

"This is really a victory for 685,000 Michiganders that do not make $12 an hour," Farris asserted. "We see that as very important particularly for low-wage restaurant workers."

The minimum wage for tipped employees is set to gradually increase to $12 per hour by 2024.

After Judge Douglas Shapiro declared the adopt-and-amend legislative maneuver unconstitutional, the State of Michigan asked for a stay pending appeal. Shapiro denied the request but did delay implementation until Feb. 19.

Mark Brewer, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the delay is due to the scale of the coming changes.

"This is a massive change. The paid sick time affects every employer in the state," Brewer pointed out. "Minimum wage obviously affects many employers and hundreds of thousands of employees, so the court said, 'Look, you can have a few months to make a transition here to fully implement these laws.' "

Litigation over the matter has not ended with the Court of Claims ruling, since the state of Michigan will next take its case to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Brewer noted the appeals court has agreed to speed things up.

"We did get some good news in just the last 24 hours," Brewer emphasized. "The court of appeals has agreed to expedite our appeal, and so we're hopeful to have oral argument in the court of appeals this fall, which would mean a decision early next year."

Upon implementation, the minimum wage will be indexed to inflation with adjustments made annually so long as the state unemployment rate remains below 8.5%.

North Dakota is looking at ways to stabilize its child-care workforce as parents struggle to find openings. Part of that involves a new initiative that offers incentives to staff at licensed centers in hopes of reducing turnover.

A recent report found that the average child-care worker in North Dakota is paid roughly $11 an hour - barely above poverty level for a family of three in a full-time scenario. The authors say that makes it harder for centers to stay open.

Kay Larson, director of the North Dakota Department of Human Services Early Childhood Division, said to counteract the problem, they're offering additional stipends to eligible workers.

"We know," said Larson, "that making consistent, stable care available for young children and families is so essential."

Stipends range from $150 to $600 per quarter. Incentives max out at $3,600 per person or when they reach 18 months of participation.

Last year, the Legislature allocated $17 million in federal COVID relief money to bolster child-care services, but some advocates said the state didn't go far enough. They argued that smaller investments will keep parents out of the workforce.

This year, the governor and other state leaders have had talks with providers on how to approach the issue during the 2023 legislation session.

Meanwhile, Larson reminded parents having trouble affording care to take advantage of recent changes to eligibility for aid.

"Right now," said Larson, "the North Dakota child-care assistance has waived the co-pays for families and increased eligibility to 85% of the state median income."

That means a family of three with a household income of just under $6,200 a month can now qualify. The previous threshold was just under $4,400.

As for the incentives program, Larson said they'll evaluate its impact on turnover, with the hopes of receiving more funding down the road.

Restaurant workers have been fleeing the industry throughout the Great Resignation. To reverse the trend, advocates in Minnesota and elsewhere argued employees need better working conditions, and they hope pending policy will help.

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has been working to develop the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights. It seeks to provide livable wages, better access to health care, a safe work environment and participation in governance.

Justin Taylor, a committee member for the Minnesota chapter of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and a restaurant worker, feels it's a comprehensive approach to long-standing issues.

"I definitely, definitely think this will be a fantastic way to fight the injustices that the restaurant workers have seen for a real long time now," Taylor asserted.

The proposal will be introduced to Congress in September, and organizers say months of outreach to restaurant workers across the U.S. helped determine what should go into the bill. Minnesota has seen nearly 20,000 people leave their establishments for different jobs, according to a report from the University of California-Berkeley's Food Labor Research Center.

The exodus was due in part to the combination of low wages and rising prices during the pandemic. Taylor added the turnover has had a major effect, with those still working at restaurants having to pick up the slack. Some employers have improved their pay and benefits, but issues remain.

"Every restaurant right now is just chronically understaffed, and we're not getting paid for the work that we're doing," Taylor contended. "There's very few places that offer paid sick leave."

Aside from pay, Taylor said the governance factor in the legislative proposal, such as having more say in scheduling shifts, could be another important tool in improving the well-being of restaurant workers.