Update as of August 17 for Personal Assistants regarding pay dates: Our union believes that you should expect payment on Aug. 28 as indicated on the State’s new payroll schedule. We are still working to get pay dates changed back to the regular schedule, but we have not received any information from the State about this. We will keep you posted if there is any updated information regarding the pay dates, and you can view the new DHS new pay calendar for the Home Services Program here.

 
ICYMI: Here’s a recap of our August 2 telephone town hall meeting for Personal Assistants and Maintenance Home Health Workers
Pay Date Changes: BREAKING NEWS – While we are continuing to fight DHS’s announcement to change the paydays, the Illinois Comptroller’s office has confirmed that PAs will get paid Friday, August 4^th, on time with the original payroll calendar.
There’s been a lot of confusion regarding the payroll schedule changes made by DORS. DORS has been informing PAs that the schedule change was due to an agreement made by our union. However, that’s not exactly correct. Some of you may know that our union filed a grievance against the State because they were not giving PAs 5 business days after the pay period to submit their time sheets. During the course of our communication with the State in working through the grievance, the State said that it will allow PAs 5 business day, but that the pay dates would have to change. It was not our union’s intention to change the pay dates. Our intention was only to preserve the 5 business days our PAs have a right to as stated in the contract.
We have made every effort to communicate this to the State and to explain that their changing the pay dates is unnecessary and harmful to PAs. We believe that the State has the ability to process time sheets on time and still allow PAs 5 business days to submit them. The State has had this process for over a decade, why are they eager to change it now? There are other priorities the State should focus on and changing pay dates is not one of them.
We are still fighting to get the future payroll dates reversed, but this is a big victory for PAs who will now receive their pay checks on time Friday, August 4.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Raises in the State Budget: We won raises in the state budget that was approved on July 7 when state lawmakers successfully overrode the Governor’s veto. All Personal Assistants and Maintenance Home Health workers will receive this increase, which is $.48/hr. This means that the wage for Personal Assistants will be $13.48/hr starting August 5, 2017.
We are currently awaiting a response from the state about when workers will see this increase reflected in their paychecks and we will let everyone know as soon as we hear.
These raises were hard-fought and would not have been possible without the hard work of our members, people with disabilities, and our allies who have kept the pressure on in Springfield during the two-year impasse. No one just decided to give us raises out of the goodness of their hearts – we had to fight hard to win this increase. By going to Springfield and meeting with lawmakers, speaking out in our communities, and telling our stories to the media we were able to convince the General Assembly to include an increase for caregivers in the Home Services Program.
We are still bargaining with the State over a new contract, and Governor Rauner continues to demand that we accept a wage freeze. The Illinois General Assembly knew that and wanted to make sure we got a raise while we continue to bargain over our new contract.
These raises are so important because PAs and MHH workers have not seen an increase since December 2014. Home care work is hard and is incredibly important to tens of thousands of people with disabilities across our state. When we invest in home care jobs, that helps caregivers stay in the industry.
While we have more work to do to win $15/hour, this raise of $.48/hour does get us one step closer to that $15.
Revenue in the State Budget: The General Assembly’s budget included a small increase in the state income tax. While no one gets excited about paying more in taxes, this revenue is so important to the future of our state and the future of home care programs. Without revenue, we cannot fund the vital services that Illinoisans need. This tax increase will go directly to backlogged payments for social service providers that have been struggling for the last two years to keep their doors open during Bruce Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis. It’s estimated that one million people in Illinois lost critical services during this time and we can finally get our state back on track and restore the safety net for our most vulnerable.
As a union, we know that this income tax increase isn’t a perfect solution. If we had it our way, the richest people in Illinois would pay their fair share in taxes and we would close corporate tax loopholes that rob us of revenue. But, until we can win a fair tax in Illinois, the income tax increase will provide some much-needed revenue to fund the programs and services our communities need.
Contract Negotiations: We are still in negotiations with the State over a new contract. While our old contract expired in 2015, we have extended that contract while we bargain so we have all of the same rights, benefits, and protections under our collective bargaining agreement until we reach a deal.
Our next negotiations session with the State is on August 21 and we will show up ready to make progress. We are continuing to fight to protect our health insurance and training, and win a raise to $15/hour so all Personal Assistants earn a living wage.
DHS Overtime Policy: Governor Rauner’s terrible DHS overtime policy took effect Tuesday, August 1. Despite outcry from people with disabilities, caregivers, and advocates, the State moved forward with their flawed policy and the cap on hours for PAs started August 1.
This harmful policy caps hours at 45 hours per week for Personal Assistants and takes consumer choice away by forcing people with disabilities to hire additional caregivers so the state doesn’t have to pay PAs overtime. There are some exceptions to the policy, but consumers must apply for those exceptions as soon as possible. Click here to find the overtime exceptions forms. 
The State is saying that they are capping PA hours at 45 hours per week, and there needs to be an approved exception in order to work more than 45 hours per week.
First off, the hours need to be approved in the Consumer’s service plan- this has always been the case, that part is not new.
Now for calculating overtime, the week runs from Sunday through Saturday. In order to see if you are within the State’s overtime cap, you need to count your hours beginning on Sunday, and ending on Saturday. You can work up to 45 hours no problem- and you’ll be paid time and half- that’s $19.50/ hour for your hours above 40 hours- but the State is saying your Consumer needs approval in order for you to work more than 45 hours in the week- again, with the week starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday.
It’s important to note that this is different than how you tabulate your hours on time sheets, since the time sheets are from the 1^st of the month through the 15^th and the 16^th thru the last day of the month- that’s not based on Sunday through Saturday. For overtime purposes, you need to count your hours starting on Sunday, and ending on Saturday though.
Our union, along with disability advocates, have fought this policy from day one and have successfully delayed it for over a year and a half. Unfortunately, we ran out of ways to continue the delays and that is why the governor was able to move forward and implement his policy.
Because Personal Assistants are in our union, it is illegal for the state to implement this policy without bargaining with us. We filed charges against the State with the labor board and are still awaiting a decision on those charges. Once the judge decides, and if they rule in our favor, we will seek an immediate injunction to stop enforcement of the overtime policy. As of now, we don’t know when we will get the decision though and have to wait and see.
In addition to legal pressure, we are also keeping the pressure on publicly. On Tuesday, August 1, we teamed up with Access Living and ADAPT in Chicago and held a huge action at the DHS office to speak out against the overtime policy and demand that Governor Rauner withdraw it before the health and safety of our consumers is put at risk.
While we rallied and chanted outside, a delegation of consumers and PAs went inside to deliver our demands. Our voices were heard and we cannot let up – we must keep taking action against this terrible policy every chance we get. See photos from the action here, and watch the news clips below.


 
Upcoming Membership Meetings in Central/Southern Illinois:
Saturday, August 26

• Peoria: 10 a.m. at the SEIU office, 400 NE Jefferson Street, Peoria, IL 61603
• Mt. Vernon: 10 a.m. at the SEIU office, 206 S. 9th Street, Mount Vernon, IL 62864
• Springfield: 11 a.m. at the SEIU office, 701 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62704
• Metro East: 11 a.m. at the SEIU office, 449 N. 33rd Street, East St. Louis, IL 62205

Upcoming Membership Meetings in Northern Illinois:
Saturday, August 26

• Chicago: 10 a.m. at the SEIU office, 2229 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60608
• South Suburbs: 9:30 a.m. at the Harvey Community Center, 15320 Center Street, Harvey, IL 60426
• Sterling: 1 p.m. at the Sterling Public Library, 102 W. 3rd Street, Sterling, IL 61081

Saturday, September 16

• Rockford: 10 a.m. at our NEW SEIU office, 2920 E. State Street, Rockford, IL 61108

Save the Date Chicago Members: Labor Day is Monday, September 4 and our union will have an exciting day of action followed by a picnic. More details will be coming soon, but save the date and plan to spend the day with your union brothers and sisters in Chicago!