Informational Links
State of Ohio
Member Updates
1199 Members Win Increased Mileage Pay
SEIU District 1199 members became aware months ago that exempt employees were granted an increase in mileage pay -- although such exempt individuals were also negatively affected by offsetting lanuage around meal and gratuity rates as well as commuting miles, which doesn't apply to Union members.
SEIU has been working with the Office of Collective Bargaining to correct this injustice, and on Friday it was announced that 1199 members are eligible for the same per-mile-rule of 50 1/2 cents. Furthermore, Union members will not at this time be subject to the aforementioned offsetting rules that affect exempt employees.
While these issues remain items over which we must negotiate next year, SEIU 1199 celebrates this extraordinary victory for fairness!
ODR&C "Paper Layoff" Set for July 7
The Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections "paper layoff" will be at 9 a.m. July 7 at the Central Training Academy. Affected members will receive notifications within two to three days after the paper layoff.
After much effort by the Union, the error-ridden, State-maintained seniority lists have been finally straightened out.
BWC Proposal to SEIU/District 1199 on Article 39 Classification Review
As everyone recalls, recently there was an Article 39 review of Disability Management Coordinators (DMCs) and Industrial Rehabilitation Nurses (IRNs) to see if they were within the correct pay level. The results of the review indicated an upgrade of DMCs from pay range 12 to pay range 13 and a downgrade of the IRNs from a pay range 12 to a pay range 10. Within Article 39, The Union is allowed to arbitrate the results of this review.
It is important to note that a downgrade of the IRNs would result in all Members of the classification to be moved to the step in pay range 10 that is closest to their current step. Those who are stepped out would be moved down to the highest level of pay range 10. DMCs would be moved to the step closest to their current step in pay range 13, which is at least a 4% increase of their current pay.
The Union has been in negotiations with BWC to try to mediate the effects of this review on our Members, particularly the IRNs who stand to lose substantial amounts of pay if the results of the review are finalized. Most recently BWC has offered a proposal which will keep the IRNs at a pay range 12 and upgrade the DMCs to a pay range 13 with some conditions.
BWC’s current proposal is to keep the IRNs at pay range 12 and upgrade the DMCs to pay range 13 if they have any of the following certifications; CRC, CCM, or CDMS. If they do not have certification, they would remain at pay range 12 until they get certified. DMCs who are not certified would be given time off to attend classes and/or take the certification tests (up to 6 hours/week). The first certification test will be paid for, however if the person does not pass, they would then be responsible for the cost of retaking the test. BWC also wants to convert Reemployment Advisors (REAs) to DMCs and require that they be certified as well.
We currently have two choices: negotiate with BWC to try to ensure that IRNs remain at pay range 12 or arbitrate the IRN decision. If we decide to arbitrate, we would only be arbitrating the IRNs. The DMCs would receive their upgrade as scheduled and without conditions. The IRN arbitration can only result in two decisions: leave the nurses at pay range 12 or downgrade the nurses to a pay range 10. Pay range 13 would not be a possible outcome of this arbitration.
We have set up a survey which will allow all Members to vote on whether or not to negotiate with BWC on this issue. The final terms of the agreement would be negotiated by SEIU Staff as well as 3 DMCs, 3 IRNs and 1 REA. Items such as REA involvement in the agreement, any DMCs being allowed to be grandfathered in the length of time DMCs would have to be certified and other terms of the agreement would be subject to negotiations. We would always maintain the right to leave negotiations and arbitrate if the terms of the agreement are unacceptable. The final proposal will also be voted on.
UPDATE: Due to security concerns, the link to a survey to vote on this issue has been made unavailable at this website. The survey will be made available shortly once all security concerns have been appropriately satisfied. Surveys will then need to be completed and submitted by July 9.
Tuition Reimbursement Policy, Application Available Here
Union members who want to get reimbursed for costs associated with work-related continuing education activities can now access both the application and the policy by clicking on the desired link.
Work Emails, Text Messages Start Out As Private, Court Rules
Employers can't read employee emails or text messages without either the worker's knowledge or consent, ruled the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last week. Furthermore, the court found, federal law doesn't allow service providers to simply release the contents of the messages to the employer who pays for the service.
The court found that an employee's expectation of privacy depends on various factors -- including whether such communications are commonly regarded as private, as well as whether a worker consents to a review. Click here to learn more about the ruling.
UNITED HEALTHCARE, OHIO HEALTH UPDATE:
Contract negotiations between UHC and Ohio Health were successfully completed, and OhioHealth will remain in UHC’s network.
Great News for 1199 Members at ODJFS
Delegates and staff from 1199 met with ODJFS to discuss the effects of the budget recommendations on our bargaining unit. We are pleased to report very good news! There will not be a single 1199 position in the upcoming layoff. We would like to thank ODJFS and the Delegates and Staff who participated on the Joint Budget Committee (Barb Montgomery, Rob Bruni, William Culver, and Khalid Jalil) as well as the members of the 1199 Steering Committee (Barb Montgomery, Don Partsch, Madonna Gray and Chana Trimble) for their hard work during these trying times. It definitely paid off! Our thoughts go out to all of the other people who are going to be impacted by the layoffs. Please be mindful that there are many people who are not as fortunate as us. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
We can also report the terms of the Early Retirement Incentive. There will be a 1 year buyout. This will be the only buyout. There are no future buyouts planned. People must submit their applications by 7/3/08. There will be a 60-90 day window, but people should check with PERS to determine this for sure. We know that this has been a difficult process for all of our Members, particularly with how little information has been made available throughout the process. Thanks for your patience! If you have further questions or concerns, contact your local Delegate or Khalid Jalil, Administrative Organizer at 1-800-227-1199.
Flex Time Update
A number of agencies have come out with new flex time policies that appear to violate our contract. Click here for a clarification on those policies from the Acting Director of the Office of Collective Bargaining.
Pete Hanlon wins
2008 Sam Mariani Award
Click here for details.
ODRC Layoff News
Finally Arrives
On April 8, representatives from each institution met at the union office to receive the rationale and the affected positions. While layoffs are a very trying time, 16 case managers and 2 chaplains have been affected. For a comparison of how few of ODRC's 1199 members were affected compared to affected exempt positions, click here.
There are many questions around the bumping issue and other questions in general. We are encouraging you to check either with your delegate or with organizer Kevin Muhammad. SEIU District 1199 will continue to keep members informed. Please visit this site for further updates.
Please be advised that SEIU 1199 is planning to hold a meeting with the agency on April 16. We will follow-up with you following the meeting with an update. We are also planning a meeting with all the Directors from each state agency/department at one time. Dave Regan, President, and Lisa Hetrick, Secretary Treasurer, will present the Union's proposal that the SEIU 1199 State Steering Committee developed regarding layoffs. The Union proposal demands the following:
1. No District 1199 member will be laid off until exempts have been laid off;
2. Supervisors must supervise no less than 8 workers; and
3. Data should be consistently shared so that we are all working together.
Tuition
Reimbursement Funds Temporarily Depleted
Due to unprecedented participation, the State's tuition reimbursement funds for members' continuing education — totaling $400,000 — have been depleted, surprisingly, for the first time in the Union's history. SEIU District 1199 is in the process of obtaining information from the state regarding each payment to ensure that claims are appropriately addressed.
If you've been informed that you will not be reimbursed for classes that you have attended, please contact your organizer. SEIU is working with the Office of Collective Bargaining to bring resolution to this issue. Please continue to monitor this site for updated information. New funds will also be available by July 1 of this year, and then individuals can again apply for their reimbursements as they regularly do.
Log of Grievances
Now Live
This new feature is intended to better facilitate grievance communications between SEIU District 1199 members across various agencies. It can be accessed by clicking the yellow "Forms" tab above.
ODJFS Reviewing
Employee Ideas To Avoid State Job Loss
(March 25, Gongwer News Service) Faced with Gov. Ted Strickland's request to cut spending by $67 million, the Department of Job & Family Services and its employee unions are working to find ways to save money without eliminating state jobs.
Following the governor's request, which came as part of his $730 million budget reduction plan, ODJFS, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association and the Service Employees International Union created the Joint Budget Committee to develop cost savings ideas, agency spokeswoman Scarlett Bouder said Tuesday.
Ronn Kolbash, assistant deputy director in Office of Employee & Business Services, said the committee has reviewed hundreds of suggestions from employees during the course of three lengthy meetings.
He said some of the ideas include: a one-to-eight supervisor to employee ratio; reducing the use of temporary and intermittent staff; travel reduction proposals; increasing the use of videoconferencing, and eliminating unnecessary equipment purchases....
Paroled Sex
Offenders Lose Funding for Ongoing Therapy
(March 24, AP) The state is trying to shift the task of counseling paroled sex offenders to the department's Adult Parole Authority, which could begin in May, (DRC Deputy Director Linda) Janes said. To read more of this article, click here.
COBRA Letters
Mistakenly Mailed
The State mistakenly mailed employees COBRA letters, provoking false fears among some recipients that they were selected for layoffs. These erroneously mailed letters are not connected to any actions around the jobs of SEIU District 1199 members, whatsoever. COBRA letters haven't even been sent out yet to those who are actually facing layoffs. The mistake appears to be yet another error attributable to the OAKS computer system.
DRC Eliminates 25
Deputy Wardens At Six Prisons
(March 17, Gongwer News Service) Faced with a mandate to shear $71 million from its budget, the Department of Rehabilitation & Correction is abolishing 25 deputy warden positions from its payroll and moving to consolidate some prison services, an agency official said Monday.
The decision to eliminate the administrators will save the agency about $2.3 million, according to DRC spokeswoman Andrea Dean. Deputy wardens serve as second in command to the wardens overseeing the 30 state-owned prisons...
DRC was among the agencies facing some of the deepest spending cuts in its $3.1 billion-plus biennial allotment of general revenue funding. However, the agency's plan generally spared corrections and parole officers, as well as nursing positions.
Doublecheck Your
Seniority Credits
In accordance with our current contract, the Union is provided a seniority list on a quarterly basis. It is important that members regularly check the accuracy of their credits with their LRO or HR person, whether or not their agency is a target for layoffs. DRC recently retracted their forms because there were so many errors with their state credits, and their LRO will review any challenges that arise. If the parties cannot reach an agreement, then arbitrator Dave Pincus will rule on each challenge.
OAKS To Face More
Scrutiny By Union
The Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS) is still subject to frustrating computerized payroll malfunctions shorting some state employees' pay. As an example, the Adult Parole Authority was late in paying employees hundreds of dollars in travel reimbursements owed to each of them by the State.
SEIU District 1199 is outraged by such ongoing errors caused by OAKS, a $140 million computer system — especially given economic hardships at both the individual and at the state level. Lisa Hetrick, Team Leader for SEIU's state chapter, will continue to raise these concerns and to seek solutions at regular meetings she attends as part of a statewide oversight committee.