Stronger Together | SEIU Local 73 Newsletter | April 2021

STRONGER TOGETHER

Your union, your news.

Victories and Challenges in Cook County Bargaining Members in Cook County (Cook County Health, Sheriff’s Office and Clerk’s Office) participated in a one-day strike on December 22, 2020.

Since this time, the County has become more cooperative in our bargaining efforts by providing more dates for the various negotiation tables, and an increased number of tentative agreements in the various offices.

However, in CCH, the employer has conducted over 60 investigatory meeting in retaliation for the members exercising their legally protected concerted

activity. Our members have strengthened their resolve by joining additional sub-committees that establish allies in the labor, community, and faith-based arenas.

By doing this, our members are the driving force in their Union leading the re-imagining of the County going from a power hoarding employer that makes decisions unchallenged, to a body of government that expands its services and resources to provide greater quality care and services to the residents and patients of Cook County.

Westrec Marina Workers Approve New Contract Through 2025 The workers at Westrec Marina Management Inc. overwhelmingly approved their new contract through 2025. These workers provide services at harbors, marinas, and ice skating rinks throughout the City of Chicago.

The contract includes retroactive pay raises back to Jan. 1, 2020 for all full-time, part-time and seasonal workers. Also included are pay raises for all workers in each year of the contract.

21st Century Communications for Local 73 As President of Local 73, my goal has been to reimagine and strengthen our union. However, no one could have predicted that a global pandemic would change the way we work and live.

COVID-19 has presented several challenges. Bargaining sessions went from the conference room to the virtual Zoom. Strikes went from members being hand-in-hand to members ensuring they were adhering to social distancing. Nevertheless, our union faced these challenges and has triumphed thus far. The resilience of our members and staff was critical throughout the first year of the pandemic, and the union is stronger for it.

I am so proud of how everyone stepped up to ensure we kept safe and continued to fulfill our roles as essential workers. We bargained new contracts, organized new members, provided training to new stewards, and brought on new staff to continue moving our union forward. Though the ways we operated and communicated changed, the persistence and commitment to our members never did.

This commitment extends to how we share information with you, our members. In this, our newsletter, the victories of the past few months are detailed. This is just one of the many new ways we are continuing to communicate with all of you.

A few months ago, we launched our new website where members can easily access their contracts and find out the latest news. We will also continue to update our member database to ensure we have the most recent data to be able to contact you with critical information through email, text messages, and social media.

Our new forms of communication don’t change the end goal, though. I am hopeful for the day when we can meet face-to-face without fear

of COVID. But this past year hasn’t been without its tragedies due to the pandemic. This virus has taken the lives of several of our union brothers and sisters, and we will be recognizing those we lost on Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28. It is therefore crucial that we as a union lead the way toward the end of the pandemic by continuing to adhere to CDC guidelines, and more importantly, get vaccinated. We have sent out communications detailing the ways Local 73 members can receive their vaccine dose(s), and we hope that you take advantage of the opportunity to keep you and your communities safe.

If you haven’t yet and still have questions about the vaccine, please go to the COVID-19 Resources page on our website. We have links to lots of information and a video where doctors answered our members’ questions. We also have links to vaccination sites. Getting vaccinated is the best way to ensure we stop this pandemic.

As 2021 continues, we know there are many more challenges before us. Cook County negotiations continue as workers fight for a fair contract.

We have many units still negotiating contracts and many more which begin negotiations this year. The fight for justice never stops.

It is up to us to create the work place we want to work at and the world we want to live in. In the words of Barack Obama, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. we are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we seek.”

I look forward to continuing to serve our union and working together to bring about the change we The OEMC committee has pushed back against abusive seek. As always, if you have a quessupervisors and unfair discipline as well as pushed for the tion or concern, I want to know about overdue implementation of retro sick days being put on memit. We have worked hard to make our bers’ PTO banks.

Member Action Center responsive to Airport security stewards have been meeting with manmembers’ questions. Please reach out agement regarding ongoing excessive discipline. with your questions and let us know Crossing Guards have been transitioning to CPS maintainhow we can best serve you. ing standards and contractual gains from the last contract.

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City of Chicago Updates

Cermak Mental Health Specialists Stand Up to Management and Win Mental Health Specialists at Cermak voted to strike because management tried to impose an arbitrary and involuntary rotation of job assig n ments.

Management said it was their way or the highway.

But because workers stood together and were ready to take action, management was forced to do what they didn’t want to do on their own. They had to be reasonable and respect the workers’ right to have a say in their job assignments and patient care.

This was only a first step at Cermak. The Mental Health Department has a toxic management culture characterized by bullying and an abusive exercise of power. It will be important to make sure management lives up to the spirit of the new agreement on job a s sig n ment s and is held accountable for their abusive management practices. But everyone is sure that the lesson of this struggle is learned: When We Fight, We Win!

COVID-19 Resources:Vaccination, Guidance, and More

During these challenging times, it’s crucial that workers have access to the resources they need.

That is why we created the COVID-19 resources page on the Local 73 website.

In addition to general guidelines and state-specific resources, our union has added critical information about the vaccination process. These include frequently asked questions, SEIU principles, and a roundtable highlighting the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

In February, Local 73 held a webinar with doctors to answer members’ questions about vaccinations. You can watch this video on our COVID resources page.

The Chicago Federation of Labor has put together vaccination sites for our members to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Vice President Kamala Harris visited one of the sites to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

“We have organized labor to thank for building the middle class, and driving and building the economy of America,” said Harris. “And here, we have organized labor to thank for knowing how to organize people in a way that they can come to a place where they are treated with dignity, respect, and where they are supported.”

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Palatine Custodial and Maintenance Workers Approve New Contract The Custodial and Maintenance Workers at Community Consolidated School District #15 in Palatine have overwhelmingly approved a four-year contract extension.

The contract includes pay raises as well as significant increases in stipends and allowances available to skilled maintenance workers.

“When many worked from home during the pandemic, we risked our lives to come in every day,” said Bob Braun, Head Custodian. “The district recognized our commitment to keeping students and staff safe and that resulted in a better contract for all of us.”

The new contract includes the choice of three extra personal days or three extra days pay for all staff who worked through the pandemic.

Maintenance Chief Steward Mark Exiline celebrates the new contract

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CPS Negotiations Lead to Safety Measures for Staff In January, we reached an agreement with CPS regarding remote work and in-person learning for our members as Chicago was readying for students to return to in-person learning.

We were able to successfully negotiate with CPS to ensure our members got the proper PPE and training to keep them safe. Additional we won the following: • SECAs whose assigned students have not opted for in-person learning can continue working remotely when in-person learning resumed.

• Bus Aides and Bus monitors were able to remain remote while the negotiations between CPS and CTU had continued without any loss of pay.

• Security officers were prioritized to receive the vaccination given they deal with the public frequently.

• Individuals who had family members at increased risk for severe illness due to COVID-19 exposure were granted accommodation to telework.

Governor Pritzker Signs Bill Restoring Bargaining Rights Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB 2275 into law which restores our bargaining rights at CPS and puts our members on equal footing with other school employees across the state.

“We’re extremely proud of the work our members did to pass this law and restore bargaining rights for our members and the members of CTU,” said Dian Palmer, Local 73 President.

Since 1995, section 4.5 of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act allowed CPS to avoid bargaining over class size, outsourcing, length of school day and year, layoffs, and more. No other workers outside of Chicago were subject to this injustice.

“26 years is a long time to not have the same rights as educational staff throughout Illinois,” said Science Meles, Local 73 Executive Vice President.

“Our members’ efforts of calling, emailing, and rallying for the restoration of their bargaining rights has paid off.”

UIC Workers Send Notice to Management Over Failure to Implement Contract On September 14, 2020, the workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago began a 10-day unfair labor practices strike demanding UIC “respect us, protect us, and pay us” after more than a year’s worth of contract negotiations had failed. The 10day strike resulted in tentative agreements that provide workers with pay increases, including a $15 minimum wage in Chicago for those on the lowest pay scale, better health and safety protocols for COVID-19, increased staffing, and protections against outsourcing good union jobs.

UIC has failed to honor the contract and implement retro pay for all workers. The lowest paid service workers at UIC have yet to see the retroactive pay promised in the contract.

“We went on strike last year to fight for protection for our co-workers throughout the pandemic,” said Lavitta Steward, clerical worker and Local 73 vice president. “Not only are members still waiting on retro pay that they were promised six months ago, but upon implementation of the contract UIC also unilaterally changed pay scales for a number of job titles without negotiating them with the union.”

The union has filed Unfair Labor Practices charges against UIC for failing to bargain the unilateral changes during the contract implementation.

“We are here to send a clear message to UIC. Implement our contract correctly by the one-year anniversary of our strike or be reminded of what

SEIU Local 73 members at UIC can do,” said Steward.

“I have worked as a cook in the kitchen at UIC hospital for many years,” said Byron Miller. “Our department is mostly black and Hispanic. We fought back against the outsourcing but ultimately the kitchen was sold and we were told our positions would be eliminated. We were told we had to make a choice: stay with Aramark and lose our state benefits, or keep our pension and take a pay cut back to $15. They bully you. They take away your options. That itself is racism – it’s sharecropper shit.”

“Our side has to unite. When they try to outsource, we fight back. When they make us choose between keeping our pay or keeping our pension, we fight back. And with every battle we take on, we get stronger and stronger,” said Miller.

New Member Vice Presidents Announced We are proud to welcome two new Member Vice Presidents, both of whom were recently chosen by their peers to help lead SEIU Local 73.

The new additions, Vee Steward and Venus Roman-Valino, share years of experience as member leaders.

See more about the new Vice Presidents on our Officers page.

Venus Roman-Valino

Vee Steward

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ISU Graduate Workers Union Hold Silent Protest Against ISU Attempt to Deny Free Speech The Graduate Workers Union at ISU held a silent protest in front of Hovey Hall against ISU’s attempt to deny Teaching Assistants (TAs) their first amendment right to free speech.

The workers have been negotiating their first contract since October 2019. During that time ISU has offered nothing to address the overwhelming poverty and debt TAs encounter by coming to work and study at the university. After two months of working with a federal mediator, ISU has made little to no movement.

Most recently, ISU has sought to subvert workers’ first amendment right to free speech by demanding the Union agree to language that would allow ISU to discipline any TA who “encourages” another union to strike or pickets with that union while they are on strike.

“The right to strike is guaranteed under law. The right to free speech is guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. Supporting fellow union workers is a fundamental principle within the labor movement. We will

not bow down to ISU’s attempt to strip us of our fundamental rights,” said the Graduate Workers Union in a statement they provided to onlookers.

GWU Persuades Academic Senate to Halt Engineering Building Illinois State University’s Academic Senate voted narrowly March 24 to reject plans for a new engineering college. Several senators cited GWU contract negotiations as the reason for their “no” vote.

Higher Ed Updates In late December, trade staff at the University of Chicago Medical Center won a one-time premium pay for their work on the front line during this pandemic. Trade staff at University of Chicago Campus won an extra holiday break with pay in December to recognize their hard work throughout the pandemic.

Food service staff employed by Chartwell’s at the University of Illinois Chicago ratified their new contract on January 23, 2021. Highlights of the new contract include increased ability to use time off during the school year and an increase in the amount of days accrued annually, holidays and sick days given to part-time workers who previously received nothing, 12.5% raises over the life of the contract with two additional new bonuses that could give members additional money in their pockets at the end of the year.

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Loyola University Faculty and University of Chicago Faculty have begun negotiations for their contracts that are set to expire this summer. Employees at City Colleges and Chicago State University are in the process of voting on their bargaining teams for contract negotiations that will also take place this year.

Ask the MAC The Member Action Center or MAC connects you with a well-trained, professional union representative, who can provide advice and assistance to union members for work site issues, contract questions, or grievances.

M-Th 9am-5pm F 9am-4pm Call: (312) 787-5868 Email: mac@seiu73.org

Secretary of State Workers Interview Candidates for Office

Members who work at the Secretary of State offices have been meeting with Secretary of State candidates to ask them questions like: • What is your plan to protect workers with health concerns?

• What are your thoughts on offering special DMV days/times for seniors and persons with disabilities?

These interviews will be a crucial step for letting Local 73 leadership know which candidate aligns with members’ values.

Candidates Alexei Giannoulis, Ana Valencia, Michael Hastings, and Pat Dowell were all interviewed. Members that participated in the interviews will be straw polled on their preference and this will be provided to our Political Engagement Committee (PEC) as they make a recommendation to the SEIU State Council.

Contributions to the Committee on Political Education Fund (COPE) allow our union to help elect candidates who support our issues. Contribute to COPE today!

Congratulations to Local 73 Winning Candidates Local 73 members stepped up and made their voice heard in the municipal election on April 6. Congratulations to the winning candidates our union endorsed.

• Calumet City – Mayor: Thaddeus Jones • Dolton – Mayor: Tiffany Henyard • Lyons – Village President: Christopher Getty • Maywood – Village President: Nathaniel George Booker • Maywood – Clerk: Gwaine Dianne Williams • Maywood – Trustee: Antonio Sanchez • Maywood – Trustee: Debra Vines • Oak Lawn – Library Board Trustee: Laura Begani Contributions to the Committee on Political Education Fund (COPE) allow our union to help elect candidates who support our issues. Contribute to COPE today!

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Regional Mental Health Center Approves New Contract The workers at Regional Mental Health Center in Northwest Indiana overwhelmingly voted to approve their contract.

Holidays and other leave have been expanded including Juneteenth as an observed holiday and extended immediate and non-immediate family coverage for funeral leave.

“Solidarity succeeded and together we triumphed,” said Steward Erin Findley-Sykes.

Also included in the contract is new language allowing workers who have a grievance regarding an incorrect payment or calculation of wage or salary, to file a grievance at Step 1 with-

Trina Hogan

Erin Findley-Sykes

in ten (10) business days of the date they have actual knowledge of the issue. Regional will consider all wages or salaries to be paid to the employee for the previous 2 years from the date the bargaining unit employee

files the salary grievance.

“I’m proud of the teamwork that secured this contract,” said bargaining team member Trina Hogan. “Teamwork makes the dream work!”

Updates from Indiana East Chicago Clerical: • Won a 2.5 raise and a Five hundred (500)-dollar stipend from their wage reopener.

East Chicago Paraprofessionals: • Won a 2.5 raise to their hourly wages with a 500-dollar stipend.

• Secured a $30/hour increase for substitute teaching for a full day.

• They now will receive every work holiday during the school year. Library assistants fought for and won hourly wages equivalent with paraprofessionals.

East Chicago Maintenance: • Won a 2.5 percent raise and a Five hundred (500)-dollar stipend.

Hammond Building Service: • We had a bidding process to see which employees will be assigned to the New high school Hammond Central.

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Social Service Spotlight A member committee in Child Welfare won an apology from management and reinstitution of safety protocols canceled by a supervisor in retaliation for union activity and Employment Services protested unfair terminations.

Stewards at JCFS an JCC have won work hour Covid 19 vaccinations on and off site and FFCRA paid leave.

Division Staff and our Legal Department won an arbitration award reinstating a 30-year worker at CJE. A committee of stewards at Envision meets regularly with management on a weekly basis for reports on news around the agency, responses to member concerns, and recently to push back on unit erosion.

Skokie Public Library Workers Join Local 73 SEIU Local 73 is pleased to announce the Illinois Labor Relations Board have certified the Skokie Library Workers as a union.

“Important decisions, especially those that impact health and safety, are currently being made by people who are not most directly impacted by these decisions,” said Angela Jones, Youth & Family Program Coordinator. “I love this library and I want it to be a safe and healthy place to work for everyone who works here. I support unionizing to ensure that all staff, especially those with the fewest amount of benefits, have a say in decisions that impact their wellbeing.”

“A union is the backbone of a strong and effective workforce. The voices of all staff, no matter their income level or job title, deserve to be heard and respected,” said Jarrett Dapier, Young Adult Librarian. “We can now, through collective bargaining, more effectively advocate for a healthier, safer, and more secure library staff. By working

together in this way, we will be able to deliver even better and more consistent library services to the people of Skokie.”

“I support the union because my coworkers deserve a more democratic decision-making process,” said Ly Nguyen, Information Specialist.

“While we fight for justice outside of work, we have to look at the ways the workplace can be more equitable and give voice to frontline staff.”

The Skokie Library Union Organizing Committee has asked the leadership of Skokie Library to remain neutral and respect their rights as workers to form a union.

Waukegan Park District Workers and Coal City School Custodians Unanimously Approve New Contracts Waukegan Park District Members of Waukegan Park District unanimously approved their new four-year contract.

“I think we got a good and fair contract,” said Steward Tracy Walls. “The workers at the Bonnybrook Golf Course, which was privatized, will receive no pay raise where we won raises every year of our contract. And we eliminated the use of evaluations in determining raises.”

Coal City The Custodial Workers at Coal City School District #1 have unanimously approved a five-year contract.

The contract includes pay raises every year of the contract with the exception of a firstyear wage freeze for the highest paid workers. The workers will

Bargaining committee members Tracy Walls, Mike Lancia, and Mike Pavelich, celebrate the tentative agreement.

receive PTO days immediately after finishing their probation for the first time ever. In addition, their probationary period has been shortened by 60 work days.

“We made gains on PTO and probationary periods thanks to our bargaining team and Local 73,” said Lynn Pearson, chief steward.

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Recognizing Local 73 Members

Throughout the year there are numerous celebrations of workers. Each month we are taking the opportunity to highlight the amazing work Local 73 members do to serve the public and their communities.

“I am so proud of the members of our union,” said Dian Palmer, Local 73 President. “Throughout the pandemic and beyond, they get up every day to provide essential services to the people of Illinois and Indiana.”

During the first week of February 2021, we celebrated Pride in Food Service! SEIU Local 73 applauds food service workers across the country, many of whom are on the frontlines delivering meals to those in need. Let’s make sure they are protected, respected, and paid like the essential workers they are.

March 7-13, 2021, was Dental Assistants Recognition Week! SEIU Local 73 applauds dental assistants across the country, providing quality care to their patients. Let’s make sure they are protected, respected, and paid like the essential workers they are.

Tuesday, April 6, is National Library Workers Day. SEIU Local 73 recognizes the people who are crucial to the library services provided within our communities. Without them, having a safe and rewarding learning experience would be impossible.

Steward and Chief Steward Trainings Union stewards are crucial in the continued growth of our strength. Stewards are vital members of our union. They're the first person members go to when they have questions or if they have a problem at work. By becoming a steward, you can help build our union power!

Steward trainings will be held virtually throughout May and June. There are three parts to the training. All prospective stewards must complete part I to get to part II, and must complete part II to get to part III. The parts are broken up into two sessions each lasting 2.5 hours and are offered via Zoom.

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To allow for more leaders to participate we are offering each part on a weekend and a weekday.

Part 1 Training Saturday, May 1, 10am-12:30pm Thursday, May 6, 5-7:30pm Part 2 Training Saturday, May 15, 10am-12:30pm Thursday, May 20, 5-7:30pm Part 3 Training Saturday, May 29, 10am-12:30pm Thursday, June 3, 5-7:30pm You can register on the Members Page of our website.