What a year we’ve had in Indiana! Together, we’ve made so much progress – in our workplaces, our communities, and our union.

2020 will present unique challenges and opportunities for us, but if we keep sticking together we can continue to build on the momentum we created this year.

Here are a few highlights to close out 2019!

Help at Home Member Dustin Jent Wins Grievance for Hundreds of Dollars in Back Pay

Dustin Jent has worked at Help at Home in Muncie, Indiana, for 9 years.

“The best part of this job is knowing that I’m helping someone. From getting my clients out of the house, to improving their quality of life at home, I know I’m making a difference,” said Jent.

When he noticed his check was short 46 hours recently, he tried calling his Help at Home office to get the issue resolved. But a week passed and no one called him back. That’s when he reached out to his SEIU union organizer and filed a grievance.

“Within one day I got a phone call and the issue was fixed!” explained Jent.

Thanks to our union, Dustin Jent got every penny of the $577.30 he was owed. 

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Indianapolis Home Care Leader Profiled for Extraordinary Efforts to Keep Clients Independent & Connected to the Community

Sue Williams-Ward was recently featured in a Faith in Healthcare profile that highlights the struggles that home care workers face across the country despite the critical role they play in the lives of clients and their families. Williams-Ward is an SEIU Healthcare Indiana member who has been a caregiver for nearly 30 years, and she’s not only a leader in our union but also in her community.

“For every client she helps bathe, take their medicines, and use the bathroom, she serves as the last line of defense in their quest to live in their preferred surroundings. Williams-Ward loves talking about the clients she has helped regain independence and re-establish their ties in the community. She takes clients who are interested to a weekly Bible study, and she pulls others together into a choir that sings in area churches. For the two million home care workers in the U.S. like Williams-Ward, that pay averages just over $11 per hour, well below a poverty wage in most communities. More than half of home care workers are paid so little they have to rely on public assistance.”

Click here to read the full story.

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2019 SEIU Healthcare Leadership Assembly Honors Exemplary Indiana Members

Every two years, the top member leaders in our union come together for a two-day Leadership Assembly to reflect on our work, gain new skills, and plan for the future. This year’s Assembly theme was “Unleashing Our Power. Transforming Our Future.”

Leadership recognition awards were presented to member across our four states in the areas of:

• Outstanding Membership Coordinator
• Outstanding Member Organizer
• Outstanding Community & Political Organizer
• Outstanding Representational Steward
• Outstanding Member Trainer

We are so proud of the Indiana members who were recognized for their outstanding skills and leadership: Patricia Thomas-Parker, Angelica Campos, Kendra Bush, Milton Smith, and me, Bernita Drayton!

  

Together, we made huge strides across our state and built a stronger union. Let’s enjoy the holiday season and come back in 2020 ready to keep making progress!