IMPORTANT! In order to remain a UDW member and have dues payments automatically deducted, you must reauthorize your membership here.
Last month, the federal government announced the official rule change aimed at prohibiting home care providers like us from automatically deducting union dues and health care payments from our own paychecks. This new rule could go into effect as early as July 5. Read more about the rule change here.
The form on www.MyUDW.org contains updated language that will allow you to continue having these payments deducted from your paycheck. We are also working hard to find a solution to help you continue automatic deductions for your health care payments.
Even if you have already joined UDW, you must sign an updated membership card to stay in the union and have your payments processed once the rule becomes final.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the UDW Member Benefits Center at 1-800-621-5016. Thank you for being a member of UDW. Together, we are protecting the rights of providers and the IHSS program.
FAQs
I’m already a UDW member. Do I need to sign this card?
Yes! In order to ensure no lapse in membership and keep access to your UDW member benefits you must sign the enclosed membership reauthorization card and send it back. You can also fill it out online at www.myUDW.org.
What exactly is this rule change and who is making it?
On July 12, 2018 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Federal agency that funds the IHSS program and similar home care programs across the country, proposed a new rule that would ban voluntary automatic deduction of union dues and other payments from Medicaid payments[1]. Because funding for IHSS comes in part from Medicaid, this would apply to IHSS paychecks.
What about other payments that are automatically deducted from my IHSS pay, like my health or dental insurance?
This new rule impacts all automatic deductions, so if you have health insurance or dental insurance payments automatically deducted from your IHSS paycheck, your payments will be affected. We’re committed to figuring out the best possible way to help you continue automatic deductions for these payments so you don’t experience any lapse in coverage – but first we need you to recommit to UDW by signing an updated membership card.
Will the amount of money I pay in dues change? Am I being asked to pay more?
No, your dues amount is not changing and will always be based on the amount of IHSS hours worked.
Why are they telling me I can’t pay my union dues out of my paycheck?
The Los Angeles Times is calling it a targeted attack on home care workers[2], and it’s the latest in a series of attacks on unions. For years now corporations and billionaires have been trying to weaken unions and make it harder for workers to gather resources and stand together. CMS says this rule is about ending “dues skimming” from Medicaid funding – but we know it is an attempt by the current administration to bankrupt home care unions and make it harder for caregivers to come together in a union to protect vital programs like IHSS[3].
[1] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/07/12/2018-14786/medicaid-program-reassignment-of-medicaid-provider-claims
[2] http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-home-health-20180730-story.html
[3] http://udw1.wpenginepowered.com/2018/07/trump-admin-anti-labor-agenda-threatens-millions/
