We are please to say that your union has won approximately $150,000 to its members in a decision on a grievance for specific member’s complaints who worked overtime without proper compensations. Approximately $80,000 is awarded to the Housekeeping. Approximately $20,000 to $30,000 is awarded to the ward clerks.  Additional compensation is awarded to maintenance employees.

As for the financial status of this Local, for the first time in a long time, we are doing well and are solvent. There is strength in numbers and we are pleased to announce that the union membership has grown to approximately 1000 members. But as people are continually retiring or leaving, the local will endeavor to maintain that level with new employees. This will serve to benefit us all and strengthen us as a group collectively. Since the new administration took office, there have been perhaps 500 employees who have joined the union. National office has stated we are over the 70 percent level of overall members and is good relative to national levels and other VA sites. This affords our local to be stronger, and allows us the opportunity to better take on any number of arbitration cases to defend its members, whereas in the past it was ill-afforded. This gives our Local much greater power to influence national union policies and a greater voice for our needs. For example our increased numbers gave us a larger voice and in a recent national convention vote. This local was partly successful in voting to turn down a national $3 per member increase that this local would have to pay. Instead, the increase was limited to only 50 cents. We had just enough votes to turn it down, our voice mattered.

A greater number of members are taking advantage of the Union Plus Benefits also. These are personal benefits that all members can enjoy and utilize to improve and stretch their dollars and financial situations. For example, the Union Bonds Rewards can yield a member perhaps $1500 in rewards with only paying $400 in dues.  Nationally this Local has been written up nicely for the things we are doing here and for the turn around that has been achieved.
The fund raisers held by the union has essentially paid for the extras we have only begun to give away free to its members, like holiday turkeys, summer picnic, Christmas Party, Birthday Movie tickets, etc. So a lot of members have benefited from the nearly dozen fund raisers held.

Your union has approximately a dozen arbitrations coming up and our increased membership and financial solvency allows us to better fight in your behalf. We won an arbitration of approximately $20,000 for the Social Workers regarding grievances over pre-selection issues. Also our union is handling more EEO related matters and we are sending stewards for training to better our abilities to defend you. The number of cases and issues your union is handling daily is significant and logistically challenging. Much of it goes unrecognized and unknown to the masses. There are allot of things this local wants to do and our large membership & power gives us more advantages in achieving them.