Member Action Center

651-294-8100 or 800-828-0206 or mac@seiuhcmnia.org

Our Member Action Center (MAC) is a central place for all members to call for information on our contracts, facilities, and union events, as well as advice on problems at work or to file a grievance. Our MAC has several dedicated staff who provide consistent, accurate advice and support to members across our union.

Weingarten Rights: The Right to Representation

If you are ever called into an interview meeting with your supervisor or manager that might result in discipline, you have specific representational rights. These rights are summarized below.

• You have the right to have a Union steward present.
• If you want a steward there, you must ask for them.
• If you do not know why your manager wants to meet with you, ask them if it is a meeting that could result in a discipline.
• If your manager refuses to allow you to bring a steward, repeat your request in front of a witness. Do not refuse to attend the meeting, but do not answer any questions either. Take notes. Once the meeting is over, call your steward at once.
• You have the right to speak privately with your steward before the meeting and during the meeting.
• Your steward has the right to play an active role in the meeting. She or he is not just witness.
• “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion.”

Member Benefits

SEIU Member Benefits—Exclusively for SEIU members!

Take advantage of all of the benefit programs—everything from insurance and credit cards to discounts on travel and everyday items. SEIU is proud to bring you this assortment of great benefits—at no cost or obligation—just for being an SEIU member! Click here for more information.

Union Plus Consumer Benefits

The AFL-CIO created Union Plus to provide union members and their families with valuable consumer benefits. With Union Plus benefits, our union membership “pays” at work and at home. By using the collective buying power of unions, we can offer valuable, discounted products and services exclusively to working families

Allina Retirement Matching Contribution

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members at Allina are eligible for a matching contribution to the Allina Retirement Savings Plan. For each $1.00 we invest, Allina will contribute $0.50, up to one percent of our eligible pay. We worked hard to win this benefit, so take advantage of it! Enroll by visiting Fidelity NetBenefits at www.fidelity.com/atwork or call 1-800-343-0860 to learn more.

Pension Fund

The Twin City Hospital Workers Pension Plan was established in 1966, and provides a retirement benefit for eligible members with the participating employers, which include:

• Allina Health System (including LPNs)
• Abbott-Northwestern Hospital
• Buffalo Hospital
• Mercy Hospital
• Owatonna Hospital
• Phillips Eye Institute
• St. Francis Regional Medical Center
• United Hospital
• Unity Hospital
• Cerenity Care Center – Bethesda
• Children’s Hospital & Clinics Minneapolis / St. Paul
• M Health Fairview
• University Medical Center
• Southdale Hospital
• St. John’s Hospital
• North Memorial Health Care
• Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital

Click here to download a copy of the Summary Plan Description.

For answers to TCHW Pension Plan questions and exclusive plan participant information, go to: www.tchwpf.com or call 952-814-4605.

Scholarships

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota offers six scholarship opportunities, awarded twice per year (spring/fall) for use at any accredited post-secondary institution.

Mindy Tomfohrde Scholarships: Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded twice per year to members in good standing for their continuing education through the “Mindy Tomfohrde Scholarship Fund.” The applicant must be a SEIU Healthcare MN member in good standing as of the time of the scholarship drawing. Scholarship applicants must submit a 500-word essay on the following topic: “What are the advantages for workers in Joining a Union?”

Got Your Back Scholarships: Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded twice per year to younger SEIU members, who are facing greater economic challenges than any generation since the great Depression. Applicants must be 30 years old or younger as of the time of application, and must be a member in good standing as of the time of the scholarship drawing. Scholarship applicants must submit a 500-word essay on the following topic: “How does the decline of union membership affect Workers’ Rights?”

Cecelia Razook Memorial Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded twice per year for the continuing education of spouses, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, or legal wards of members in good standing through the “Cecilia Razook Scholarship Fund.” The SEIU Healthcare Minnesota member must be in good standing as of the time of the scholarship drawing. Scholarship applicants must submit a 500-word essay on the following topic: “What does SEIU Healthcare Minnesota mean to your family?”

Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded twice per year to a non-member involved in organizing around social and economic justice fights in Minnesota, nominated by a member in good standing, as of the time of the scholarship drawing, through the “Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund.” Scholarship applicants must submit a 500-word essay on the following topic: “How do politics and legislation impact the ability to organize unions?”

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Applicants must be SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members in good standing, the child of a member in good standing, or nominated by a member in good standing. No academic performance standards or records are required for eligibility. Please submit only one application per person. Duplicate entries will be disqualified. Applicants are not eligible to win multiple awards in any one given year. The applicant (or his/her parent) must be an active member at the time that winners are announced.

SELECTION PROCESS:

Winners are to be selected by lottery at the Quarter 1 Executive Board meeting and the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota Annual Member Convention. Applicants will be notified of the results by mail.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• To download applications, click on the appropriate scholarship above OR call 651-294-8100.
• Complete and submit the application form to SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, Scholarship Department, 345 Randolph Ave, Suite 100, St. Paul, MN 55102 OR email to mac@seiuhealthcaremn.org.
• APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN January 31 and August 31, of the current year
• Awards are made payable jointly to the winners and the educational institution as indicated.
• The Officers, Executive Board members, and staff of SEIU Healthcare MN are not eligible.