State of Ohio Employee Development Fund (EDF) Balance Update (6/12/19)
SEIU District 1199 will continue to forward updates from the Ohio Department of Administrative Services on the Employee Development Fund balance. We now have an update that is current through 6/12/19.
We have been provided with the following update:
• As of 5/25/19, claims totaling $694,712.73 have been processed.
• As of 6/12/19, claims totaling $13,859.84 have been approved.
• As of 6/12/19, claims totaling $4,107 have been submitted.
• Processed, approved, and submitted claims, total $716,070.80
The budget for the Employee Development Fund is $750,000. The amount of the budget remaining after accounting for pending, approved, and submitted claims, is $33,929.20, which is 5% of the total.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Member Resource Center.
We Rise – Update Your Membership in 2019
SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH 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 are available here:
• 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 2019. The deadline for applications is September 1st.
• Scholarship Recipient List For 2018
• Update/Renew Your Membership
Applications may 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
Free College Member Benefit With Ohio’s Eastern Gateway Community College
Members of SEIU District 1199 are eligible for a free college benefit with Eastern Gateway Community College. This benefit is open to eligible members, retirees, and their families. Eastern Gateway Community College is also a part of the University System of Ohio.
This program fills the gap between federal, state, or employer education grants the student receives and the cost of tuition, fees, and e-books for some online programs. It is open to eligible members and retirees, in addition to spouses, domestic partners, children, grandchildren, and dependents.
For more information and to enroll, visit SEIU Member Benefits.
Don Arnett Named Dayton Correctional Institution Employee of the Year
Last week, leaders with Dayton Correctional Institution named Nurse Don Arnett as employee of the year. Pictured is Mr. Arnett with Administrative Organizer Joe Daniels, co-workers, and friends. Congratulations to Don Arnett for this honor.
State Members Awarded Settlement After Improper Denial of Overtime
Two nurses who are members with the State of Ohio recently received significant settlements after overtime was improperly denied. Due to no fault of their own, the nurses were placed on a “no patient contact” list temporarily. The members had no knowledge of the reason they were on the list and were unable to work overtime, which was a significant monetary loss.
The members stood together and contacted the Member Resource Center. Through the arbitration process, the members showed that this loss of overtime hours denied due process. A settlement was reached with the state, which had a combined value of over $45,000.
If you believe your contract is being violated at work, do not hesitate to contact the Member Resource Center. The Member Resource Center is open from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM each Monday through Friday. “Your Member Resource Center has your back!”
Open Enrollment for State Members: May 20th – May 31st
Open enrollment for members with the State of Ohio will begin soon. In 2019, open enrollment will be held from May 20th through May 31st. This year, new benefit options are also available.
Everything you need to know about open enrollment can be found through the open enrollment site provided by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.
If you have questions, you can contact the DAS Employee Benefits Management Team at 800-409-1205 or 614-466-8857 and select option 2. You can also contact DAS by email at mybenefits@das.ohio.gov.
Employee Development Fund Reimbursement Dates for State of Ohio Members
The Employee Development Fund (EDF) for members with the State of Ohio grants funding for coursework, training, and continuing education activities. Below are some important dates regarding the EDF:
• The last day for state members to submit requests for reimbursement from the Employee Development Fund (EDF) for Fiscal Year 2019 is June 17th, 2019.
• The first day to submit requests for Fiscal Year 2020 is June 24th, 2019.
Requests can be submitted through the State of Ohio’s DAS portal. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Department of Administrative services at EDFunds@das.ohio.gov.
State Member and Union Unite to Overturn Unfair Administrative Leave Deductions
The State of Ohio has traditionally utilized an unfair practice that denies workers on administrative leave supplemental pay. However, state workers can find themselves on administrative leave through no fault of their own. This can mean a dramatic reduction of wages, even if the worker is later entirely cleared to return to work.
A member of SEIU District 1199 was recently on administrative leave and like many other workers was later cleared to return to work. However, the member was denied significant pay supplements (e.g. such as retention pay) that resulted in an unfair loss of wages. The member joined together with the Union to take the supplemental pay issue to an arbitrator.
Through this dispute, the Union and member maintained that the deduction of supplemental pay was a contract violation that denied due process and violated the fundamental principles of just cause. The arbitrator ruled that the State of Ohio is no longer permitted to continue the practice of deducting pay supplements from paychecks when workers are on administrative leave. The outcome of the dispute was successful.
If you believe your contract is being violated at work, do not hesitate to contact the Member Resource Center. The Member Resource Center is open from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM each day. “Your Member Resource Center has your back!”
Ohio House APA Lobby Day 2019
On Tuesday, April 9th, the Union will be holding an Adult Parole Authority Member Lobby Day. We will focus on three issues: The State of Ohio Budget, The Reagan Tokes Act, and OPERS 25 & Out for State Parole Officers.
Registration and further details are available here.
Important Deadline – State Dependent Audit
SEIU District 1199 has been contacted by the State of Ohio about the ongoing dependent verification for state employee health insurance coverage. This affects many members of the SEIU District 1199 bargaining unit. All forms must be turned in and verified prior to a deadline of April 5th, 2019.
If information is turned in but not correct, further documentation must also be provided prior to April 5th. This is important because dependent health care will be terminated if documentation is not received and approved. According to the State of Ohio, there is a large number of employees who have not submitted the required documentation at this time.
Please refer to notices sent from the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services for further details. The Union Benefits Trust can be contacted at 800-228-5088. You can also contact the Dependent Verification Center at 833-372-8752.
Regional Membership Meeting in Cincinnati
Signup for Email Updates and Stay Informed
Our mission is to improve the lives of working people and their families and to achieve greater social and economic justice. If you share our vision for a more just society, please sign up for email updates here.
Sharing A Thank You Note From A Member
This note was recently sent by a member of SEIU District 1199 to Pete Hanlon, the Director of the Member Resource Center.
I just want to send a note to let you know how much I appreciate the time you spent guiding me through my grievance. I also want you to know [the grievance chair] has been fabulous in guiding me and holding my hand through it.
Danielle Brison was brought into guiding me within the last few weeks. She too had taken the time to help me out and continued on with aiding me. One does not always see people “giving,” “helping others,” and “going beyond the call of duty.”
All three of you people have been kind to me through it all. I wanted to let you know how much, I, as a person, appreciate it.
Thank You and Blessings to You,
– Member of SEIU District 1199
If you are a member and need assistance with a grievance, you can always call the Member Resource Center. “Your Member Resource Center Has Your Back!”
Message From The State of Ohio on W-2 Forms
SEIU District 1199 recently received notice that some members with the State of Ohio will receive amended W-2 forms. New w-2 forms are being sent (either electronically through MyOhio or via U.S. Mail) to some state members to reflect gift cards given through the “Take Charge! Live Well!” wellness program.
The Union received the following message from the State of Ohio’s Office of Collective Bargaining:
“Approximately 2,200 employees will be receiving a letter from DAS informing them that they will receive a corrected W-2. These employees participated in the Take Charge! Live Well! wellness program and received gift cards. The employee’s original W-2 did not contain the amount for the gift cards received because DAS did not receive the file from the vendor until after the original W-2s were processed. The corrected W-2s will be sent to employees in the same manner they received the original W-2 (electronically through myOhio or via U.S. Mail).”
Dedicated State of Ohio Nurse Reinstated With Back Pay and Benefits
In September 2017, a nurse and state member with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction was removed from her position. An arbitration was recently led by Member Resource Center Director Pete Hanlon.
In contrast to the original decision by the State of Ohio, the member was a dedicated employee who cared greatly about her work and the health and safety of those in her care. She worked with the Union out of the belief that she would be reinstated after the facts were heard by a neutral party and fully evaluated.
The member’s grievance advanced to arbitration in August 2018. In December 2018, an arbitrator ruled that the state’s decision regarding the member’s employment was handled improperly. As a result, the member is now returning to her job with back pay, which will cover the last 15 month period.
Members with the State of Ohio often provide vital care and encounter complex and difficult situations on the job. The ability to file a grievance and stand together as a Union provides a critical means of checks and balances under the state’s imperfect system. We are stronger together.
ODRC Member Successfully Unites With Union to Appeal Fine and Establish Clarity
In December, an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction member was issued a disciplinary fine for a common practice that had not been flagged by management. The member took action with the Union and this resulted in a successful outcome and also established policy clarity.
The commonly accepted practice did not result in harm. The member worked with the Union to file a grievance and an arbitrator ruled that there was no just cause. As a result, the arbitrator rescinded the fine and ordered the member’s record restored. We are stronger together.
State of Ohio Returns Disciplinary Fine & Interest
A member with the State of Ohio recently won two grievances relating to a disciplinary fine. As a result of the first grievance, the state agreed to return the fine to the member. However, the employer failed to return the funds as required by a timeline set out in the contract.
The member filed a second grievance to seek the reimbursement due. Shortly after the grievance was filed, the payment was issued, as required, with interest. We are stronger together.
Free College Member Benefit With Ohio’s Eastern Gateway Community College
Members of SEIU District 1199 are eligible for a free college benefit with Eastern Gateway Community College. This benefit is open to eligible members, retirees, and their families. Eastern Gateway Community College is also a part of the University System of Ohio.
This program fills the gap between federal, state, or employer education grants the student receives and the cost of tuition, fees, and e-books for some online programs. It is open to eligible members and retirees, in addition to spouses, domestic partners, children, grandchildren, and dependents.
The following programs are now being offered:
• Associates Degree – Accounting, Business Management, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Individualized Study, and Paralegal.
• Certificate – Business Management and Patient Home Navigator.
For more information and to enroll, visit SEIU Member Benefits.
