VA ILLEGALLY CANCELS  CONTRACTS: JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP MEETING TONIGHT

Fellow SEIU HCII Department of Veterans Affairs Union Members,

The VA Central office announced this week that it would no longer be honoring the SEIU contract at JBVA and Hines.  The cancelation of these local agreements is illegal and despite the executive order they should still be in effect. 

Join us TONIGHT, Wednesday June 11, for our biweekly membership meeting to discuss this breaking news! Please register at the link below to attend next tonight’s meeting at 6 P.M. Central.

→ Register Here!

VA MEMBERS HOLD ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE 

Our members have repeatedly shown up to hold our elected officials accountable and to fight against the Trump administration’s attacks on working people. From our email and call-in programs to demand Springfield fight for our members, to our informational meetings about the damage republicans like Rep. Mike Bost are doing to our veterans’ healthcare, to our rallies alongside elected officials who want to ally with us, our voices have impact. 

We are very excited for our next opportunity to share our stories with elected officials: our Congressional Town Hall, hosted alongside organizations like CFL, NNU, and AFGE on Saturday, June 21 at 1 P.M., located at our Chicago office.

At this Congressional Town Hall, VA workers and veterans will address a group of Illinois elected officials directly— sharing their stories and the effects that Trump’s attacks on the VA have taken. Our elected officials will have space to respond, but this is a chance for our VA members’ stories to take the spotlight, and for our politicians to listen and understand the reality of what Republicans are trying to slash. 

We invite you to join us for this exciting opportunity to share our stories with lawmakers and urge them to commit to protecting veterans and workers. To attend, please register using this link.

SIGN UP FOR EZ DUES

We’d like to remind you that our VA members can now sign up to pay dues using our new EZ Dues payment link! You can sign using any credit card, debit card, or bank account, but we recommend using the same bank account that your paycheck deposits to. Dues will still be withdrawn on paydays, so this will make your EZ Dues payment the most similar to our former process!

Trump tried to weaken our union when he took away paycheck dues payments. But we refuse to let anyone take away our union! Sign up now with your financial information on hand, and keep an eye out for more information on this convenient new dues payment system!

VICTORY IN THE COURTROOM

As we shared last week, SEIU’s lawsuit, filed jointly with organizations like AFGE, AFSCME, and more, achieved a major victory when a judge granted an injunction against the Trump administration. This injunction blocks the administration from approving or taking action on restructuring plans, putting workers on administrative leave, proceeding with RIFs already in progress and in the future, or cutting agencies.

This win would not have been possible without our members’ commitment to fighting back against Trump’s attacks. The judge who ordered this injunction specifically cited stories shared by SEIU members as critical to demonstrating the stakes of this fight. 

Learn more about this victory by reading our press release.

JOIN US FOR OUR JUNE TELE-TOWN HALL

Don’t forget to join us next week, Tuesday June 17, for our Health Systems Tele-Town Hall Huddle! Register now for a special Tuesday edition of our monthly meeting, where we will discuss safe staffing, bargaining updates, and VA news with hospital workers across Illinois and Indiana. 

→ Register Here!

Keep Reading: VA Reminders and Updates

Remember the following as the EO concerning rights to collectively bargaining is working through the courts:

• As of right now SEIU Healthcare IL/IN is still the exclusive collective bargaining for non-professionals title 5 and hybrid 38 employees at the VA.
• The agency still has the obligation to negotiate changes in working conditions, including Return to Office and the Reduction in Force
• When this EO is implemented there will be additional changes at the VA specifically around how you pay dues. Be on the look out for a new direct join link so your dues can be transferred over.

Remember the following as plans around the RIF are announced:

• Print and makes copies of your OPF, SF50, Performance Records, pay and leave statements.
• If probationary, confirm the type and length of your probationary period.
• If you are a service connected Veteran ensure that your Veteran Preference for RIF is reflected on your SF50 (question 26).

Remember, if you are a Remote Worker, please ensure the following:

• Review your Telework Agreement.  If you are Virtual, AdHoc or have a Reasonable Accommodation the Return to Office does not apply to you.
• If you would like to obtain an AdHoc Agreement start the process with your supervisor now. If you are in need of a Reasonable Accommodation start the process now. 
• No Telework Agreement will be terminated until space (in compliance with privacy and work needs) at a VA property is found. 
• If space is not found, extensions will be provided for Remote workers.   

If you are an illegally terminated federal worker: 

• All illegally terminated probationary employees should have been returned back to work or placed on administrative leave

Don’t Forget!

The administration is going to make it more difficult for us to be in touch with our union members. Click the link the share your updated contact information.

→ CLICK HERE to share your updated contact information. 

We need to ensure our membership stays strong. Share the online membership card below with your coworkers to help them become a part of the union. 

 → CLICK HERE to access the online membership card.

FILL OUT AN ADO TAG!

Help us fight for safer working conditions! If you’ve experienced short staffing or unsafe conditions, let us know. Fill out an ADO Tag and submit it to your organizer OR click the button below to fill out our online form. 

 → CLICK HERE to Complete Our Online ADO Form

You can also print out our Assignment Despite Objection Form to report your short staffing experience

→ CLICK HERE to access the printable form!

FIGHT BACK NOW!

📞 Take Action Now! Call your legislators at 1-866-426-2631 and demand they say NO to cuts to Medicaid and the VA! Every call makes a difference.

📝 Sign the Petition → CLICK HERE to sign our petition and demand that these harmful cuts are stopped. 

📢 CLICK HERE to join other Federal Employee Workers through the Federalist Union Network.

Thanks for staying updated. Our fight continues. As always, email me with any questions: Anne.Igoe@seiuhcil.org.

In solidarity,

Anne Igoe

Vice President and Director for Health Systems