Home Care Benefit Fund Launches Early Flu Campaign, Providing All Members Free Flu Shots
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing as flu season begins, the Home Care Benefit Fund (HCBF) is helping protect your 1199SEIU employees and members by providing free flu shots at the Funds' Manhattan headquarters, 498 Seventh Avenue, the Bronx satellite office, at 2501 Grand Concourse, and the Brooklyn office, at 25 Elm Place. In Manhattan, flu shots will be offered on October 5, October 15 and November 18, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. In the Bronx, flu shots will be provided on October 13, October 23 and November 18, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In Brooklyn, flu shots will be given on October 28 and November 11, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Flu shots are by appointment only, and members should call (646) 473-8985 to make an appointment. Please inform your 1199SEIU members and employees that they will need to sign a consent form when they arrive for their flu shot, and that for social-distancing purposes, they should arrive no earlier than five minutes before their appointment. Each year, in partnership with the Union and the industry, the HCBF helps educate 1199SEIU members on the importance of getting a flu shot. To help prevent a potential "twindemic" of seasonal flu and COVID-19 putting undue pressure on the healthcare system, this year's initiative features a webinar led by the Funds' Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Van Dunn. Outlining the threats posed by the flu and COVID-19, Dr. Dunn has led three webinars in September and will present more throughout the season. For dates and times, members may visit The Benefits Channel. In addition, the HCBF is issuing all-member email reminders, posting information on the Funds' website, social media channels and in the fall issue of the member magazine, For Your Benefit.
|
BPF and TEF Expanded Citizenship Program Outreach Ahead of Proposed Fee Increase
The 1199SEIU Citizenship Program, which is jointly administered by the Benefit and Pension Funds (BPF) and the Training and Employment Funds (TEF), helps hundreds of your 1199SEIU employees and members and their eligible family members become citizens each year. In advance of the proposed October 2 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fee increase, the program expanded outreach to encourage members to begin the application process. On September 29, three days before the increase was to take effect, a federal judge granted a motion for a preliminary injunction against the increase that would have raised the fees from $640 to $1,160.
The Citizenship Program is continuing to support members, offering virtual and in-person appointments Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and on select Saturdays. To schedule an appointment, members may call (646) 473-8915 or email [email protected]. The Citizenship Program offers assistance with application preparation, one-on-one counseling and legal advice, tutoring to prepare for the naturalization interview and test, classes for English language learners, and help with other needs such as Green Card renewals. The services, which are available in English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole and French, are free of charge. However, they do not include USCIS fees.
|
|
|
|
|
|
