Opt Out Today

SEIU Healthcare 1199NE (New England)

To opt out of SEIU Healthcare 1199NE dues:

  1. Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
  2. On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
  3. Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
  4. Sign and date the form.
  5. Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.

 

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SEIU Healthcare District 1199 New England (‘SEIU Healthcare 1199NE’) is the designated union for approximately 12,000 home care workers (Personal Care Attendants, or ‘PCAs’) serving Medicaid-eligible clients in Connecticut.

For years, state-paid PCAs in Connecticut were required to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions like SEIU Healthcare 1199NE to take their members for granted. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Harris v. Quinn, PCAs can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will.

The court referred to the requirement for partial-public employees to pay union dues as a money-making “scheme” for the union and ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated workers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.

You can opt out of SEIU Healthcare 1199NE dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send my resignation to the union?

You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.

In most cases, union dues are automatically deducted from employees’ paychecks. Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. If the deductions continue for more than a couple pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.

*Please note: If you are currently paying SEIU Healthcare 1199NE dues via automatic credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments from your bank, you should also contact your bank directly to stop the payments.

Finally, keep in mind:

Opting out is your constitutional right. However, unions like SEIU Healthcare 1199NE sometimes place restrictions on when they will accept opt-out requests. If the union refuses to immediately cancel dues deductions from your pay, ask them to provide you with written documentation and contact us for assistance.

How much are SEIU Healthcare 1199NE dues?

SEIU Healthcare 1199NE dues are currently 2.25% of gross pay and, according to federal filings, can be as high as $948 per year.

If I opt out of paying dues to SEIU Healthcare 1199NE, will I still be able to serve Medicaid-eligible clients under the state’s home care program?

Yes. Under state law, the union contract for PCAs is binding on all providers in the state, regardless of whether they want to be union represented and regardless of whether they choose to pay union dues. Opting out of paying dues will in no way affect your ability to be paid by the state or its fiscal intermediaries to serve Medicaid-eligible clients.

If I stop paying dues to the union, will I still receive the same wages and benefits specified in SEIU Healthcare 1199NE’s contract with the state’s PCA Workforce Council?

Yes. SEIU Healthcare 1199NE has arranged to be the “exclusive representative” of PCAs, meaning it is impossible for PCAs to get out of the terms of the contract, even if they cease paying dues. Your wages and benefits specified in the state’s contract with SEIU Healthcare 1199NE will remain the same regardless of your formal union membership status.

How will my relationship with the union change if I opt out?

While the terms of the contract will still govern your employment, union officials commonly prohibit nonmembers from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, voting for union officers or participating in contract ratification votes. You’ll also be ineligible for any special “members only” benefits, such as discounts on additional insurance, scholarship programs, or deals the union has arranged with businesses. You may no longer receive the union newsletter or similar publications.

How does SEIU Healthcare 1199NE spend my dues money?

SEIU 1199NE

SEIU 1199NE collected $15 million in dues and fees from its members in fiscal year 2022, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

In 2022 alone:

  • $6.2 million went to the SEIU headquarters in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. SEIU regularly supports a host of controversial organizations. Planned Parenthood, for example, received $50,000 from SEIU in 2019.
  • $849,000 was spent by SEIU 1199NE on political activity and lobbying.
  • $269,976 was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
  • $546,664 was spent on television ads that appeared on local news channels.
  • $5,200 was spent on airfare for union staff.

SEIU 1199NE paid 100 officers and employees in 2022, eight of whom were paid six figures. The union president, Robert Baril, received $127,218.

According to the LM-2 filed by the union in 2022, SEIU 1199NE has accumulated $8 million in cash assets.

SEIU 1199NE’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by SEIU 1199NE members goes to support the SEIU Connecticut State Council.

SEIU CT State Council

The State Council collected $371,600 from its local affiliates in 2022.

That year alone:

  • $226,900 was spent on political activity and lobbying.
  • $96,322 was paid to director Enrico Melita.
  • $282,600 was reported as cash assets.

SEIU CT State Council’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by SEIU 1199NE members also goes to support the SEIU international headquarters in Washington, D.C.

SEIU National Headquarters

According to federal filings that the union must submit with the US Department of Labor, SEIU headquarters collected $239 million from its affiliates in 2022.

In that year alone:

  • $63.5 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
  • $4.5 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
  • $6.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. SEIU’s hotel expenses included a $805,000 bill from the Hilton in Washington DC.
  • $36 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
  • $63,217 was spent on food and catering.

SEIU national headquarters paid 496 employees in 2022, 309 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU’s International President, Mary Kay Henry, was paid $289,587.

SEIU National Headquarters’ most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.