Chelsea Bland is a full-time unionist, in and out of the workplace. As a union communication professional, she supports the American Federation of Governmental Employees' communication department. And as a member of her own union, OPEIU Local 2 in Washington, D.C., she's played an active role in developing the local union's internal LGBTQIA+ Committee.
In 2015, Bland agreed to chair the committee and begin to develop its structure and goals. "I thought this was an opportunity to become more active inside of our union," she says.
Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issuing a COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) for health care workers:
Fifteen months into this pandemic, health care workers will finally have enforceable OSHA protections that will require their employers to provide prevention measures to keep them safe from COVID-19 at work. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh should be commended for taking this overdue step to care for the workers who care for us.
OPEIU is proud to honor Pride Month 2021 by once again committing to the fight for justice alongside our LGBTQIA+ family, both in and out of the workplace. LGBTQIA+ rights are workers' rights.
Many OPEIU members work for "public service employers," which includes many nonprofits, and are thus eligible to take advantage of temporary changes that make it easier to qualify for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
More specifically, under the temporary waiver:
Be sure to check your eligibility for the PSLF waiver before the changes expire on Oct. 31, 2022.
Unfortunately, union staff are not eligible for this program. Be sure to visit the OPEIU Membership Benefits page to learn about the OPEIU Student Debt Reduction Program and the educational scholarships available for OPEIU members and their families.
Late last week, JCAU Council and CWA 1036 jointly filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge as well as a petition for immediate restraints with the Public Employment Relations Commission to challenge the Judiciary’s recently announced vaccine and testing policy. While the immediate restraints were denied, the underlying ULP is moving forward. The ULP is based on the near-immediate imposition of the policy without impact negotiations with the Unions. The Unfair Practice process is underway and procedural steps are scheduled over the next 2-3 weeks. We will keep members updated on any developments.
OPEIU Local 32, in collaboration with the other unions which comprise the Judiciary Council of Affiliated Unions, has reached a tentative agreement with the State of New Jersey for our court employees. Links here are for the summary of all the changes and the actual Memorandum of Agreement reached at the bargaining table. The 3-page summary is included for your convenience, but members will actually vote to accept or reject the complete MOA.
State Health Benefits Program School Employees' Health Benefits Program
PERCENTAGE OF PREMIUM CALCULATORS FOR PLAN YEAR 2013 Health Benefit Contribution Requirements under Chapter 78, P.L. 2011
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