Secretary of State Workers Win Back Benefit Time

Secretary of State workers won the return of benefit time used during a major winter storm after management required some workers to use their benefit time, while others were allowed to be home with pay.

In February, SEIU Local 73 filed a grievance in response to the Secretary of State’s indecision about closing DMV locations during a snow storm. The official SoS website stated that their locations were closed, but some staff was still required to report to work. Some workers received paid time off while others could not travel to work due to hazardous road conditions and were forced to use some benefit time. One member even had their wages docked.

In a settlement of the grievance before arbitration, nearly 30 members won the return of benefit time lost due to the storm. Members came together and fought for respect – and won.

“This issue should have never gone this far. It is a shame that management was not looking at the safety of all employees and we had to fight this for so long. By sticking together, we scored a win for all members,” said Michelle Barnhart, Chief Union Steward