News
April 6, 2022
State of Ohio, Union Chapter News – April 2022
Foster and Kinship Caregiver Leave
Caregiver Leave allows for a foster caregiver or a kinship caregiver a maximum of up to 40 hours of leave a year, with full pay, for the duration of the placement of a child in their home. A foster caregiver is someone who holds a valid foster home certificate caring for a child in place of the child’s parents). A kinship caregiver is someone related by blood or adoption to the child – grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, step-parents and -siblings, spouses and former spouses or a legal guardian or custodian – who is 18 years of age or older and has signed attestation to caring for a child in the place of the child’s parents. Unused caregiver leave expires at the end of each calendar year and unused leave does not carry forward and cannot be paid out.
SEIU 1199 is working with the State to procure a letter of understanding (LOA) to secure the language in the current collective bargaining agreement. Once the language in the LOA has been agreed to by both the Union and the State, Members will have the opportunity to vote on the LOA.
Agency Professional Committee (APC) Meetings
SEIU 1199 Member Leaders will be meeting with representatives from their respective various state agencies on the dates scheduled below. If you have an issue for the agenda please reach out to your Delegate, Executive Board Member or Organizer.
Scheduled Meetings
- DODD: March 23
- DRC: April 5
- BWC: April 11
- ODM: April 19
- DVS: April 20
- ODJFS: April 26
- ODH: May 5
- OOD: May 23
- APA: May 26
Grievance Victory
A SEIU 1199 member from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) was driving her personal car on State business during working hours. While parked on State grounds, a tree fell on the cause causing damage. The Member claimed the damage on her personal insurance policy and requested reimbursement for the $250 deductible from the State of Ohio. After refusing to reimburse the member for the deductible, the MRC (Member Resource Center) worked with the member to file a grievance. The grievance went to mediation and the State continued to refuse to pay the deductible. The MRC moved the grievance to arbitration. During the process of scheduling the arbitration, the State agreed to settle the grievance and reimbursed the Member for the deductible.
Critical Incident Response Team
In the past four months, the SEIU 1199 Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) has jumped into action during two incidents involving APA Parole Officers and was able to quickly provide legal representation for the Officers involved. An explanation of this Member Only program can be found in the 17 minute training video shared via email to all APA Members last month. Parole Officers in the Department of Youth Services are also eligible to use the benefits of CIRT.
New Contract Update
The process has begun to print the new State contract. The printer is waiting for the final camera ready version and once received will begin the process of printing the new collective bargaining agreement. Distribution to all State of Ohio Members will begin as soon as they are delivered from the printer. An electronic version is currently available at the following link: https://bit.ly/1199contract
State of Ohio Emergency Pay Class Action Grievance
A Class Action Grievance was filed in March 2020 to include all members of the SEIU 1199 Ohio State Chapter citing Article 35, Emergencies. Article 35 states Members who work are required to work during an emergency declared by the Governor are entitled to an $8.00 per hour a stipend. SEIU 1199 has secured a panel of arbitrators to strike from to determine the Arbitrator who will preside over the arbitration of this grievance. At the same time, OCSEA is also preparing for their arbitration over the same issue. SEIU 1199 is working with OCSEA to formulate and move a winning strategy. Updates to this very important issue will be shared with the membership in real time. If you have any additional questions, please contact your Administrative Organizer or the Member Resource Center at 877-419-7348.
CMS Rule and Supreme Court Decision on Mandatory Vaccinations
The recent US Supreme Court decision which allows certain individuals to be mandated to take the COVID19 vaccination impacts SEIU 1199 Members in the Ohio Department of Mental Health Services (ODMHAS), the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) and the Ohio Veterans Home (OVH) which are governed by the rules of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). Current discussions bargaining the impact of this decision on our Members are expected to conclude in the next few weeks.
Mission
Our mission is to improve the lives of working people and their families, and to achieve greater social and economic justice!
Member Resource Center – State of Ohio Chapter
Becky Williams, President
SEIU District 1199
1395 Dublin Road
Columbus, OH 43215
United States
