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Region 3 DVP Yolanda Langston Letter to the Members

Retirement Legislation Questions and Answers

The SEIU office has received a huge volume of questions concerning the retirement bills moving through the legislature. Please note that the bills are not in their final form and any and all provisions are subject to change. The school bill is now at conference committee and the state employee bill has not been voted on. SEIU will stay on top of the changes as they happen so check www.seiu517m.org often for the most up to date information. We have grouped the questions into broader categories and will answer them here.

School Retirement Bill Summary

Early in the morning of May 14th, the Senate passed SB 1227 by a vote of 21 Yes, 14 No and 3 Excused and 1 not voting. HB 4073 (the IRS 115 trust) passed by the Senate by a vote of 23 Yes, 10 No with 5 Excused. The House subsequently passed HB 4073 and SB 1227. SB 1227 was passed by a 56 Yes, 45 No with 7 Excused.

SEIU Summary of National Healthcare Law

SEIU International has done a summary of the new National Health Care Plan that President Obama has signed into law. SEIU National Healthcare Law Summary

Q and A on Health Care Reform

In light of our victory in winning health care reform, SEIU International has put together a Question and Answer sheet talking about what the new legislation means to public service members.

Get to Know The New SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry

Mary Kay Henry speak

Get to know the new SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry. She was voted in by the SEIU International Executive Board to replace retiring President Andy Stern on May 8, 2010.

Lobby Day a Success

The third annual SEIU Local 517M legislative lobby held May 6 was a great success. Fifty members employed by the state, schools and local government from around the state meet with their Legislators. Topics of their discussions included closing tax loopholes, public service accountability, privatization in our schools, and revenue sharing. Several legislators agreed to sit done for more detailed discussions about the issues confronting public employees. Thank you cards were also presented to the 15 Senators who voted to save the state employee’s negotiated 3 % pay increase for fiscal year 2010 – 2011.

Member's Daughter to "Free Fall" for Victims of Sexual Abuse

Teabaggers Are Wrong: Taxes at 1950 levels

New HSS Board Member Sworn In

At the May 20th Human Services Support Unit Board Meeting in Saginaw, Heidi Zens was sworn in as a board member. Heidi works as a Disability Determination Assistant with the Department of Human Services.

Letter to Senator Mike Bishop

HSS unit President Phillip Patrick responds to a letter received from State Senator Mike Bishop.

HSS Member Meeting in Flint

The HSS Division of SEIU 51M held a general membership meeting on Thursday, April 8, 2010 in Flint at the Michigan Works office. The agenda items discussed were: retention of 3% wage increase, FY 11, pending arbitration, the proposed reform of the retirement system and the relocation of the fire door.

HSS Unit Membership Meeting in Saginaw

The HSS Division of SEIU 51M held a general membership meeting on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in Saginaw at the Saginaw RICC. The meeting was conducted by President Phillip Patrick and Vice President/Grievance Consultant Denise Edwards. The items discussed included: overtime, legislative attack on 3% wage increase, the proposed reform of the retirement system and the letter writing campaign.

New HSS Board Member Sworn In

At the March 16, 2010 HSS Unit Board meeting in Saginaw, Jeanette Brown was sworn-in by HSS Unit President Phil Patrick to the HSS Unit Board.

Technician Update for March 9, 2010

In the Office: Keep those cards and letters to your State Senators and Representatives going. If you haven’t contacted your Representatives about your 3% raise do so soon. The legislature has until April 11th, 2010 to vote on rescinding your pay increase. Let them know we have given back over $600 million already! (Senate majority leader Mike Bishop has vowed to keep trying to have your raise rescinded!)

Grand Rapids Membership Meeting Notes

The HSS Division of SEIU 51M held a general membership meeting on Thursday, March 4, 2010 in Grand Rapids at the Grand Rapids RICC.

The meeting was conducted by President Phillip Patrick and Vice President/Grievance Consultant Denise Edwards. The items discussed included: email communications, overtime, legislative attack on 3% wage increase, letter writing campaign, Bank Leave Time (BLT) and its advantage to the State and the working environment/conditions.

Retirement Legislation Questions and Answers

The SEIU office has received a huge volume of questions concerning the retirement bills moving through the legislature. Please note that the bills are not in their final form and any and all provisions are subject to change. The school bill is now at conference committee and the state employee bill has not been voted on. SEIU will stay on top of the changes as they happen so check www.seiu517m.org often for the most up to date information. We have grouped the questions into broader categories and will answer them here.

School Retirement Bill Passes House, On to Conference Committee

Gongwer News Service is reporting that the House has passed the School Early Retirement Bill (SB 1227) setting up a likely conference committee to work out the differences.

Meeting Notes from the January 19 Cadillac Place Meeting

A general membership meeting was held at the Cadillac Place Building in Detroit on January 19, 2010. Issues discussed ranged from mandatory, the contract ratification vote and implementation, and donation to the Haiti relief effort.

Detroit News Article Concerning Budget Situation

Additional information on Plan A and Banked Leave Time

An employee can still participate in Plan A or Plan C. The only difference is that according to the IRS, the employee must deplete their BLT hours before recording the unpaid hours as Plan A or Plan C. For example, if an employee is only working 64 hours and taking 16 hours of Plan A per pay period, the first pay period BLT goes into effect, the employee would enter 64 hours of regular work and 16 hours of Plan A time.

2010 Benefits for Life Open Enrollment

Currently, over half of the State of Michigan’s employees have elected to enroll in one or more of the Benefits for Life plans, which includes the free Discount Plan. Consistent with 2009, the Benefits for Life open enrollment will be conducted online beginning Monday April 19th.

Sci. and Eng. New Year Update

As you are aware by now, the Tentative Agreement that was sent out in December was approved overwhelmingly by the Scientific and Engineering Unit. – 72% with 1192 members voting. That’s nearly a 50% turnout. It should be higher, but that is the highest turnout that I am aware of. The electronic voting was a success. Banked Leave Time will begin in the pay period beginning January 24, 2010. The first paycheck where it will be reflected would be the February 18, 2010 check. The agreement did not mandate four temporary layoff days. It limits our exposure to four and whether or not they will be imposed will be determined in the future.

SEIU 2010 Steward Training

2010 Steward Train the Trainer

SEIU Local 517M held its Advanced Steward Training at Shanty Creek January 31 through February 1, 2010. Fifty advanced stewards attended and extensive training and information was presented to them. Information was presented by the SEIU staff on a variety of issues currently facing public employees in Michigan. In small groups, the stewards taught each other the topics to help them with grievance handling. Topics included Just Cause, Terminations, American with Disabilities Act, Preparing for Arbitration, Information Gathering, and Difficult Issues in Labor Representation. Sue Browne from the Blue/Green Alliance gave a presentation. The Blue/Green Alliance is a coalition of Labor and the Environmental community striving for green energy and green job creation. In addition, on Sunday State Representative Dan Scripps (D-101) addressed our stewards to welcome them to Northern Michigan and discuss environmental issues.

Union Family Day at the Ingham County Fair

Bring the family for a day of carnival fun, food and rides on Union Family Fair Day at the Ingham County Fair. There is a Guitar Hero contest for the kids and much more.

2010-11 Open Enrollment Rates and Meetings

The final FY 2011 rates effective October 3, 2010 for the state sponsored group insurances and Open Enrollment meeting dates have been released. This includes Group insurance rates for employees hired before April 1, 2010 and employees hired on or after April 1, 2010. Health rates for the two groups are different while dental, vision, life and LTD rates are the same.