2020 Member Scholarship Program
Who is eligible?
All SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH members in good standing and their immediate family members are eligible.
What are the requirements?
You must have been accepted or currently enrolled in an accredited two- or four-year educational institution or technical school and actively enrolled in a degree, post bachelor’s degree or certification program.
You must be enrolled for a minimum of five (5) credit hours in a course required or related to the degree or certification.
You and your immediate family member(s) are eligible if you have been a member in good standing of SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH for at least two years prior to the application deadline.
How do I apply?
Complete scholarship eligibility criteria, requirements, and applications:
• SEIU 1199 Scholarship Form
• SEIU 1199 Scholarship FAQ
Members may also obtain an application packet including eligibility criteria information and an application by calling the Member Resource Center hotline at 1-877-419-SEIU (7348).
The application process is now open for 2020. The deadline for applications is September 1st.
• Scholarship Recipient List – 2019
• Scholarship Recipient List – 2018
• Sign a Membership Card (must be a member in good standing for 2 years)
Applications may be submitted by email to scholarships@seiu1199.org or by mail to:
SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
Member Resource Center
Attention: Scholarships
1395 Dublin Road
Columbus, Ohio 43215
2020 District Officer and Executive Board Elections: Announcement of Election Results by Acclamation
Basic Grievance Chair Training in Cleveland
What do I need to know to be an effective Delegate? What is just cause for discipline and what standards does the boss have to meet? How do I prepare a case? Learn how to win at work!
The Basic Grievance Chair Training is designed for Grievance Chairs, Delegates, and Executive Board Members. Face coverings or masks will be required. Social distancing guidelines will be applied. The meeting space will be sanitized.
Location: SEIU District 1199 Office at 13000 Shaker Boulevard in Cleveland
Date: Wednesday, June 17th, 2020
Time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Please bring a copy of your union contract. Contact your administrative organizer for lost time eligibility. Register online with the form on this page or with your organizer by phone or email. Registration for this event has now closed. We are stronger together.
Lorain Public Library Members Negotiate New Contract That Ensures Quality Services
Members with the Lorain Public Library System recently bargained a new contract that will ensure the quality provision of services for the duration of the agreement. Members from many backgrounds stood together for this new contract and they are deeply committed to their work. Like other public library members of the Union, they do this work because of the important role that libraries have in our communities.
Negotiations were open to all members, with many wearing buttons – sessions were later held online. When negotiations started before the pandemic, one bargaining session lasted until 1AM in the morning.
The new contract includes the following improvements:
• Wage Increases. The contract includes wages increases that total 8% over three years. These wage increases recognize the work of the dedicated staff despite concerns about the Public Library Fund.
• Minimum Staffing Language. The contract sets a minimum level of staffing. This was important to the bargaining committee and will ensure safety for the public and chapter members.
• Improved Bereavement Leave. Language was improved in this area.
• New Advancement Opportunity. A new job title was created that will increase pay for many members with the library system.
• Active Shooter Training. This training will now be offered to bargaining unit members but will not be mandatory.
• Annual Fire and Tornado Drills. Such drills will help ensure that library staff have the knowledge and ability to assist the public, if needed.
Many chapter members have decades of experience but they were also joined for bargaining by rising chapter members who are new to the library system. Members with the Lorain Public Library System are united by their understanding of the importance of library services.
Solidarity News – May 2020
Member News and Grievance Victories
● Southern Ohio Hospital Member Granted Significant Settlement. A member was a part of a job training program to become an OB Scrub Tech when management decided to cancel the program. The member contacted the Union because she was employed as a trainee when the decision was made. The Union and member were able to secure a $5,000 settlement as compensation.
● ResCare Member in Cabell County Receives Important Work Documents. A member with ResCare in West Virginia had been trying to get important work documents from management for weeks and had not been successful. The documents were needed for an application related to one of his family members. The member contacted the Union and by the end of the day, the Union was able to get a meeting time established with ResCare to receive the needed documents.
● Bellefaire JCB Members Stand Together For Safety. Members with Bellefaire JCB, a service provider in Cleveland, have been standing together as Union members and co-workers to ensure workplace safety in relation to the current pandemic. Through their Union, these members are speaking out and raising critical health and safety issues.
● ResCare Member Issued $2,000 in Back Pay. A member with ResCare moved to a different worksite but her pay was not updated. The member did not receive a $0.30 increase that she was owed and even after her rate was increased, she was not issued a payment for the back wages that were due under the terms of the contract. Working with the Union, the member has now received the retroactive pay that she had earned, which totaled approximately $2,000.
● Consumer Support Services of Trumbull County Members Unite for Better Working Conditions. Several group home members with CSS Trumbull recently gathered signatures and wrote a letter to management to address unfair treatment in the workplace and issues with client care. As a result of their collective efforts, their manager was removed.
Member Resource Center Update
The Member Resource Center provides assistance each day to a substantial number of members across West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Whether you need a copy of your contract, assistance contacting Union staff, or advice on how to file a grievance, representatives with the Member Resource Center are standing by to assist members each Monday through Friday. “Your Member Resource Center Has Your Back!”
College Programs for Union Members
SEIU District 1199 offers discounts for members and eligible family members through arrangements with colleges. These programs include a range of benefits with Columbia Southern University, Southern New Hampshire University, Central State University, and Eastern Gateway Community College.
Membership with SEIU District 1199 provides access to the member benefit programs detailed below. If are not yet a dues paying member, sign a membership card at this link.
Ohio’s Eastern Gateway Community College. Eastern Gateway offers a free online Associate’s Degree college benefit for members and retirees, in addition to eligible family members. If you live near Youngstown or Steubenville, you can also can participate in this program and take classes on campus.
Ohio’s Central State University. Union Plus, one of your Union’s member benefit programs, has partnered with Central State University in Dayton, Ohio. Central State University is now offering a program for Bachelor’s Degrees for members and eligible family members. This program is available online at a reduced cost or low/no cost (e.g. depending on grants). The program is open to students with an Associate’s Degree or 60 credit hours of coursework in a related major. Additionally, students who have a degree from Eastern Gateway Community College can now transfer into the Bachelor’s Degree program at Central State University.
Southern New Hampshire University. SNHU offers Bachelor’s Degrees and Associate’s Degrees for $3,000 a year for members and eligible family members.
Columbia Southern University. Columbia Southern offers Associate’s Degrees, Bachelor’s Degrees, Mater’s Degrees, and Doctoral Degrees. SEIU District 1199 has a tuition discount agreement for members.
If you need assistance with member benefits, you can always contract your Member Resource Center. “Your Member Resource Center Has Your Back!”
Letter: Put Workers First, Not a Blank Check for CEOs
My job has always been to provide care and protect others from germs, viruses, and diseases at the nursing home where I work. Every day, my co-workers and I do everything that we can for our residents.
A virus as deadly as COVID-19 is different though and I worry about bringing it home. As I travel to and from work, I sense that other people feel the same way that I do. Some would love to stay home but who would provide the critical care that is needed for the residents where we work?
Congress has passed multiple bills in response to the COVID-19 crisis, but so far they have fallen short of providing the support we need. Frontline workers still lack needed personal protective equipment, sufficient sick leave, and the wages that we deserve. Many workers in my area and some of my Union brothers and sisters have been laid off and are unsure of how to cover the bills.
Big corporations and many companies are doing just fine and others are getting relief funding. At the same time, our public services — like our schools, libraries, and health care system — are all at-risk.
Join with me and send a letter to demand that we get the personal protective equipment that we need. Second, call Congress at (877) 851-2521 and tell them that they must protect all workers.
If we stand together and demand better now, we can not only protect all workers and come back from this tragedy, but ensure fairness for us all as we move forward together.
In Solidarity,
Cassie Cooper – Nursing Home Worker
Union Member of SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
Special Notice and Nominating Petition: SEIU District 1199 District Officers and Executive Board Elections
We Rise – Update Your Membership
National Library Workers Day: A Message From President Becky Williams
Today is National Library Workers Day and this week is National Library Week. Your SEIU District 1199 family wants to take a moment to recognize all library workers.
Public libraries across Ohio make our communities stronger. In many ways, libraries have always brought people together, even when they have been apart. The services that you offer are vital and transformative. Now more than ever, we will work together to ensure that all libraries are safe.
We truly appreciate you and the work that you do on behalf of the public. On this special day and everyday, we thank you for all that you do.
In Solidarity,
Becky Williams – President
SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
Tell Congress – Paid Leave For All Workers
In this current time of crisis, all workers must have access to paid leave so that they can care for themselves and their families. Write to your members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to demand immediate action to ensure the availability of paid leave for all workers.
Update – Paid Family and Sick Leave
This week, the U.S. Congress passed a new bill called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The bill was signed into law earlier today. This law will offer paid sick leave and expanded family leave, in some circumstances.
This law offers up to two weeks of unpaid leave and ten weeks of paid leave at 2/3 pay for some workers who cannot work or tele-work and due to school or child care closures. Such leave is not available to workers with employers that have 500 or more employees. Health care workers and first responders may be excluded. See below to speak out.
The law also offers two weeks of paid leave for some workers who must isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19. This leave is also not available to workers with employers that have more than 500 employees. Health care workers and first responders may be excluded. See below to fight back.
SEIU District 1199 stands with all workers. Members are sending letters to members of the U.S. Congress to demand that paid leave should be available for all workers and so that health care workers have access to important safety equipment.
During this crisis, your Member Resource Center is standing by to assist members at 877-419-7348. We will continue to stand up and speak out together.
In Solidarity,
Becky Williams – President
SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
Together, We Are Union Strong
Union members are standing together in this time of crisis. Members of SEIU District 1199 and workers across our country will beat COVID-19, just as we did with epidemics of the past. From staffing issues to paid leave and safety, standing together is more critical than ever.
Update for Members on COVID-19
SEIU District 1199 is proud to represent health care workers and others who work on behalf of the public. Members of the Union stand with their co-workers every day for fair wages and benefits, in addition to speaking out on behalf of the public in regards to issues such as safety.
We know that many members are concerned about COVID-19, which is a new risk for workers, the public, and our families. While we don’t yet know the impact of COVID-19, it is important to be prepared. I want you to know that we are ready to stand with you.
At the national level, SEIU is fighting for expanded unemployment insurance and paid sick leave for workers who are unable to work due to exposure and/or illness related to COVID-19. It is also imperative that workers have the proper training and equipment, if needed, to stay safe while providing vital services.
Your Member Resource Center is open Monday through Friday. If you face issues on the job related to COVID-19, please know that we will be working overtime and are here to stand with you. The Member Resource Center can be reached by calling 877-419-7348.
In Solidarity,
Becky Williams – President
SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH
New Contract Negotiated by Members With Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ensures Good Union Jobs
Over the weekend, members with the Public Librarians Association of Youngstown at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County ratified a new contract with no concessions and several improvements. This new agreement shows that negotiations conducted in good faith can benefit all parties. This contract is also meaningful for the community, as it comes at a time when Youngstown and the greater area need good union jobs.
Workers negotiated a new 5-year contract with the following terms:
• Wage Increases. There will be a 2.5% increase in each year of the agreement.
• Wage Scale and Longevity. Members will receive a 2% base rate increase in 2021 and 2023. There will also be a 3% increase for those at the top of the wage scale. The contract includes an annual off-scale bonus of $600 for full-time bargaining unit members and $400 for those who are part-time.
• Sick Time. The new contract includes an increase in sick time accrual.
• Ratification Bonus. Full-time members will receive $1,500 and part-time members will receive a $900 ratification bonus.
• Paid Union Orientation. Union orientation will help member leaders keep the chapter strong.
• Member Resource Center. New language will assist with the provision of enhanced representation through the Member Resource Center.
Members negotiated this contract together and the terms reached will benefit the entire bargaining unit over the length of the agreement. We are stronger together.
