local 721 travel pay

A few remaining golf spots are available for any Local 721 member interested in participating in this year’s Local 721’s Charity Golf Tournament. The event

 Glenn Kimmett Scholarship Application are now being accepted until Friday July 26, 2024. Please send the completed application by email (refer to the letter) or

Notice to all members working in Local 721’s jurisdiction under the; Iron ICI Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement, Residential, Ornamental, Contractors Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement. The

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MENTAL HEALTH

Ironworkers Local 721’s site is provided for the education of our members and the greater community on the benefits and opportunities associated with membership in our organization. Our Local is over 4100 members strong and growing. Together we’ve erected some of the most prominent and well known buildings in this city. The CN Tower, Rogers Centre (Skydome), and Toronto City Hall are just a few that make up Toronto’s skyline. We’re proud to represent such a great city and such great members. Local 721 is committed to providing the highest in quality, safety and reliability, and our projects reflect that attitude.

For Information about paying your monthly Union Dues click below

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Upcoming events

• May 15, 2024
• May 17, 2024
• May 20, 2024
• May 25, 2024
• June 19, 2024

View the courses offered by Local Union No.721.

View the extensive information on apprenticeship.

View the information on membership by clicking on this box.

GCTD, Employees’ Union Finalize New Contract

Three-Year Contract Offers Higher Wages, Increased Benefits, and Better Starting Pay for New Drivers

Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD), the largest public transit provider in Ventura County, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721 finalized a new three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) for union-represented administrative staff, bus operators, and maintenance employees. The contract will offer higher wages, higher starting pay for new bus operators, and increased benefits.

GCTD has three bargaining units with SEIU Local 721 (Administrative Support Unit, Bus Operators Unit, and Mechanical Unit), which covers about 150 workers. After six months of negotiations, all parties reached a tentative agreement on January 10, 2022, and it was ratified by all voting members on January 26 th . The Board of Directors unanimously approved the new contract at the February 2 nd Board meeting.

ALL MOU’s will include:

• Annual Wage Increases : 3% in June 2021 (retroactive); 3.5% June 2022; 3% June 2023
• GCTD Medical Benefit Contribution:  Increase up to 5% per each (2022, 2023, 2024)
• Increased Tuition Reimbursement: $1,200 per fiscal year (up from $800)
• Incentive for Attendance Bonus Amounts Increased

Specifically, the individual unit MOU's will include:

• Bus Operator Unit: Starting Pay Increase to $21.75 (up from $19.87); ALL operators will get full-time benefits
• Mechanical Unit: Increase allowances for tools and shoes. Additional uniforms provided
• Administrative Unit: Bilingual Pay (Speaking and Writing) increase

“GCTD is grateful for the hard work and dedication of all our employees, especially those working the front lines, serving the community throughout this pandemic”, said GCTD General Manager Steve Brown. “This new contract will allow us to better compensate our workforce for their service, and attract new employees with more competitive wages, enabling our agency to continue to provide the highest quality service to our passengers”.

GCTD, like most other transit agencies, has been severely impacted by a national driver shortage since before the pandemic. The onset and spread of COVID-19 added an additional strain on an already difficult situation. Nonetheless, GCTD is maximizing its recruitment efforts by offering a $2,000 signing bonus and hosting job fairs with on-the-spot interviews to accelerate the application process.

The new contract will go into effect immediately, retroactive to June 27, 2021.

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Ontario Ironworkers/Rodmen Benefit Plan Administrators Corporation

111 Sheppard Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M2N 6S2

Telephone: Within Metro Toronto.................................416-223-0383 Anywhere in Canada...............................1-800-387-8075 Fax........................................................416-223-0956

The Ontario Ironworkers/Rodmen Benefit Plan Administrators Corporation was established in 1989 to look after the day-to-day operations of the pension and benefit plans for the Ontario ironworkers and rodworkers. The Administrator provides these services for the participating locals in Windsor, Sarnia, London, Hamilton, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Ste. Sault Marie and Toronto.

The administration staff provides services for more than 5,000 active and retired plan members and their families. The Administrators' duties include the collection of employer contributions, the adjudication of extended health, vision, disability, dental, and travel medical assistance benefits, as well as life and accident insurance. In addition the Administrator provides for the adjudication and payment of pension benefits.

In 1993 the Administrator moved to its present location at 111 Sheppard Avenue East, North York, Ontario M2N 6S2. Located along Toronto's subway system in the heart of North York, the office is conveniently situated for easy access by all. The building is an investment made by the Ironworkers Ontario Pension Fund and the Administrator occupies the entire 12,500 square foot, two story office building.

How to Join the Plan

If you are a member of the Union or one of the Ontario Locals, you become a member of the Plan when you first work for an Employer who pays contributions to the Plan on your behalf.

• worked at least 700 hours or
• earned at least 35% of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings under the Canada Pension Plan

in employment for which an Employer has made contributions to the Plan on your behalf.

To join, you must submit a completed beneficiary form to the Administrator.

Benefits Plan

Your coverage starts on the first day of the second month after you have a total of 100 bank hours in your hour-bank account (a total of 600 hours if you are a probationary member). See Bank hours for more information.

Example: If you begin working for a contributing employer in March and by the end of May, you have 175 hours reported from your employers. Since you meet the requirement of working 100 hours for a contributing employer, you will become eligible for benefits under the Plan. The month of June is a waiting period. Your coverage will start on July 1, the first of the month following the waiting period.

If you become a member of a plan covered by a reciprocal agreement within 12 months of the last date contributions were made on your behalf directly to this Plan, you will continue to be a member of this Plan. The contributions made on your behalf to the other plan will be transferred to this Plan. If you need more information regarding this feature of the Plan, please ask the Administrator .

Active Member Eligibility.

• reside in Canada,
• covered under your provincial government health plan
• are a union member in good standing with Local 721, or are a Probationary Member,
• work for a contributing employer, and
• work the required number of hours for initial eligibility or continuing eligibility, described later in this section.

A contributing employer is any employer that is obligated or permitted to contribute to the Fund.

Retired Member Eligibility.

• You must be a member in good standing of Local 721 on the date you retire;
• You must have been in good standing with Local 721 for at least 10 uninterrupted years immediately preceding your date of retirement;*
• You were either working or were available for work under the jurisdiction of Local 721 or the Union, during the 12 months immediately preceding your date of retirement;**
• You were covered for benefits as an Active member without interruption during the 12 months immediately preceding your date of retirement (this includes Active member pay-direct coverage under Option 1 and Option 2, but not Option 3);
• You must be receiving or be in the process of successfully applying for a monthly retirement benefit from the Ironworkers’ Local 721 (Rodmen) Pension Plan;
• You must, on an uninterrupted basis from your date of retirement, remain a member in good standing of Local 721 or the Union;
• You must make the required monthly contributions to the Administrator’s office on an uninterrupted basis.

*If you do not meet Number 2 above (10 year union membership), you may be able to continue your benefits for up to 12 months by electing an Active member option.

Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Insurance

Very important changes to your emergency travel insurance.

We have had an update from the Ontario Ironworkers Benefit Plan’s insurance provider concerning your out-of-province/country emergency travel insurance as follows:

Our travel insurance policy will now provide coverage for international travel with the exception of claims directly or indirectly related to COVID-19, or any other specific local travel advisory that is issued by the Government of Canada and in effect at the time. Coverage within Canada remains available as provincial borders gradually re-open for all Canadians.

We encourage you to visit https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories regularly for the most up-to-date travel information from the Government of Canada. We also encourage you to contact out travel insurer, Global Excel, directly prior to travelling for the most up-to-date information about our travel insurance policy. Global Excel can be contacted as follows:

• From Canada or U.S. (toll free): 1-866-870-1898
• From anywhere else: +819-566-1898 (the “+” refers to the collect access code).

Los Angeles city employees go on strike, alleging exploitative conditions

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of Los Angeles city employees began striking early Tuesday, accusing their employer of subjecting them to exploitative working conditions and engaging in "bad faith" contract negotiations.

Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents over 11,000 city employees, said it's protesting unfair working conditions, such as staffing shortages in city agencies, that force employees to work overtime.

The union says the strike will last 24 hours, and it has already halted or limited an array of public services : Trash collection and homeless encampment cleanups ground to a halt, some public pools shuttered, and city parking enforcement at popular event venues, such as the Hollywood Bowl, was delayed.

The union — which represents city sanitation workers, heavy-duty mechanics, traffic officers and engineers, among others — began its strike at 12:01 a.m. PT Tuesday, and workers began picketing outside Los Angeles International Airport at 4 a.m.

Mike Long, the union’s communications director, said the workers would stage “a few dozen active picket lines” at other city landmarks, including the Griffith Observatory, throughout the day, as well.

Around 11 a.m., droves of striking workers, many wielding picket signs and purple cowbells, converged on the steps of City Hall, forming a chorus of dissent as they chanted in unison.

"We are the union!" a strike leader yelled.

"Fighting for justice!" the crowd roared back.

SEIU Local 721 reached an agreement with the city government last year, which remains in effect until December. In the agreement, the city pledged to consider hundreds of union proposals in separate negotiation sessions during the months following the deal, but talks collapsed when city officials moved to merge the negotiations with talks about renewing the union’s contract, the group said, prompting it to file an unfair labor practice complaint.

A member of the union’s executive board, Dion Cornelious, an airport bus operator at LAX, said the city's decision to combine the negotiations — which centered on position-specific provisions, such as higher pay for people who work in bilingual capacities — "totally disrespected workers." He said his team is overworked and understaffed.

"As a driver, you're doing extra days of work and extra working hours, and it puts stress on you. It's not good for the city," Cornelious said. "The more help we get, the better the city is going to be in the long run."

Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Monday that the strike wouldn't force the city to "shut down," though she said airline passengers should set aside extra time to travel to and from LAX. Her office "is implementing a plan" that will ensure emergency services from the Los Angeles police and fire departments aren't affected by the strike, and she added that the city is prepared to advance contract negotiations with the striking workers at any time.

"Like I said over the weekend, the City will always be available to make progress with SEIU 721 and we will continue bargaining in good faith,” Bass said.

Tuesday's strike comes amid a flurry of labor activity in California as it faces  soaring rents  and  homelessness .

Thousands of California hotel workers began striking last month , demanding higher wages and other benefits, as they argue their existing salaries can't sustain them in the Los Angeles area. Hollywood actors walked off their sets last month after negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and top studios collapsed; separately, the Writers Guild of America began striking over 100 days ago, demanding higher compensation and residuals, as well as a writers' staffing minimum on TV shows.

In Northern California, nearly 4,500 San Jose city employees plan to begin a three-day strike next week over similar grievances, citing what they call chronic understaffing in city agencies and low pay, according to NBC Bay Area .

Michael Mitsanas is a Los Angeles-based journalist. His reporting has appeared in The Diplomat Asia Pacific, NBC News, NBC OUT, NBC News NOW, and MSNBC.

On a day of disruptions, L.A.’s elected and labor leaders promise more talks

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Trash went uncollected. Dozens of swimming pools were shuttered. Cargo ships at the Port of Los Angeles remained miles offshore. And traffic officers missed their shifts, sparing inattentive motorists the sting of a parking citation.

Workers with Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents more than 7,000 city employees, walked off the job Tuesday, interrupting or halting an array of government operations in a boisterous demand for respect.

The 24-hour strike brought picket lines to City Hall, Griffith Park, Van Nuys Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and municipal facilities in Hollywood, Lincoln Heights, San Pedro, the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere. City workers, marching in single file and clutching signs, spoke unhappily about increased workloads, rising housing costs, long commutes and what they described as unfair labor practices by city negotiators.

At the same time, the demonstrations lacked some of the heat and anger that surfaced in recent months during prolonged strikes by other Southern California unions — hospitality workers and Hollywood’s writers and actors. In the city’s back-and-forth, both sides promised more talks very soon, saying they want productive negotiations.

At one point, SEIU Local 721 President and Executive Director David Green even offered praise for Mayor Karen Bass, who heads the city’s five-member bargaining committee. Appearing at a noisy rally outside City Hall, he called on an estimated 2,000 workers to applaud the mayor, who oversees the negotiators he has repeatedly derided as “out of touch.”

“This strike is not a strike against our Mayor Karen Bass. She’s always been there for working people,” he told the crowd. “So I think let’s give a round of applause for the mayor right now.”

Column: This ‘hot labor summer’ is unifying Los Angeles in a way few could have imagined

What’s happening now feels different. There’s a level of cross-union support across radically different workplaces, along with a knowledge of one another’s respective struggles, that I’ve never seen, or frankly ever thought possible.

Aug. 8, 2023

Green said he spoke with Bass the day before the strike, and since then fielded phone calls from at least four council members, who will ultimately vote on any salary agreement with the SEIU. Those council members, he said, “want to come back to the table.”

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, a former labor organizer, separately described the strike as “an opportunity to listen to the workers who perform the most essential functions in our city.”

“These workers deserve to be heard and they deserve a fair contract with livable wages and healthy working conditions,” he said in a statement.

Bass has repeatedly pushed back on the idea that city negotiators had engaged in unfair labor practices. She and the other four members of the city’s Executive Employee Relations Committee, which gives bargaining instruction to city negotiators, are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss negotiations with the SEIU.

“The city will always be available to make progress with SEIU 721 and we will continue bargaining in good faith,” she said.

Even amid Tuesday’s show of union strength, the city continued to deliver an array of services.

The Los Angeles Zoo, which has SEIU members in its workforce, nevertheless welcomed visitors. Dozens of branch libraries opened their doors. The city’s 311 system fielded service requests. All six animal shelters, which city leaders had assumed would be closed earlier in the week, were up and running, Bass said.

SEIU Local 721, which represents gardeners, mechanics, custodians, trash truck drivers and many other city workers, began its strike at 12:01 a.m., describing it as a protest against unfair labor practices by management and a rebuttal to the city’s failure to negotiate in good faith.

Outside LAX, dozens of mechanics and custodians began marching before dawn. By 7:30 a.m., the crowd had grown to about 100. Several voiced frustration over the large number of vacant positions that plague city agencies, forcing workers to take huge amounts of overtime.

DeVonte Butler, a 33-year-old maintenance and construction worker at the airport, said he and his colleagues are “working around the clock to catch up.” Although he has been earning extra money working overtime, Butler said the high cost of housing and childcare had left him living paycheck to paycheck.

Custodian Hilda Sotelo, 49, voiced similar concerns, saying the sprawling terminals of LAX once had double the number of cleaning staff. Last year, 66 million passengers made their way through LAX, the most since the pandemic.

Sotelo said she and her colleagues are stressed out while scrubbing bathroom after bathroom. When they go on break, she said, passengers ask them for directions or other information.

“We are doing the work of three people,” she said.

Despite the presence of scores of striking workers, most of the airport’s operations continued without interruption. With fewer custodians on duty, some bathrooms were closed. Flights that typically require shuttles were rerouted to other gates.

Dae Levine, a spokesperson with Los Angeles World Airports, said the agency was working to ensure that operations were “as close to normal as possible.”

Tuesday’s walkout also had a significant effect on the city’s recreation sites, triggering the closure of dozens of swimming pools. In Boyle Heights, parents arrived at the gate of Roosevelt Pool only to find it had been padlocked.

“Nobody even told us they were canceled,” said Crystal Bedoy, ushering her sons back into the family’s white sport utility vehicle. “Usually my sister gets a phone call, but none of the parents have heard from anyone.”

The disruptions also stretched to the city’s southernmost edge.

At the Port of Los Angeles, about 300 Harbor Department employees are represented by SEIU, including deckhands and pilot service boat operators, who play a pivotal role in ensuring a cargo vessel’s arrival. With those workers on strike, four container ships had their arrival delayed by one day, according to a department official.

Two other containers ships postponed their departure.

“The Port looks forward to the return of a full work force on Wednesday,” said Phillip Sanfield, a spokesperson for the agency.

Across the city, residential trash pickup in many cases was canceled, delaying refuse removal schedules by one day for the remainder of the week. Homeless encampment cleanups scheduled for Tuesday by the Bureau of Sanitation were rescheduled to Saturday.

Sanitation worker Richard Joyal, who held a picket sign outside City Hall, said he showed up to Tuesday’s rally in the hopes that it would spur city officials to return to the bargaining table. He expressed some sympathy for residents who would not receive refuse collection Tuesday.

“We hope the residents will understand and back us,” said the West Covina resident, who works on a city team that collects mattresses and other bulky items left on the sidewalk.

SEIU Local 721 is currently operating under a one-year contract that has provided its members with a 3% raise and a one-time bonus equal to 5% of a worker’s annual salary. That bonus was paid out in a single lump sum last month.

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The union has not yet submitted a proposal for its next contract. Instead, labor leaders have spent part of this year in negotiations over more than 400 side proposals, which deal with such issues as bilingual pay and compensation to help pay for boots or other safety equipment.

SEIU Local 721 filed an unfair labor practices claim several weeks ago, after city negotiators attempted to combine the talks over those side issues with bargaining over the union’s next contract. City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, the city’s lead negotiator, denied that his office engaged in unfair labor practices, saying the two sides have already reached agreement on dozens of side issues.

City Council President Paul Krekorian said the city’s negotiating team had been engaged in “serious negotiations” with the Coalition of L.A. City Unions — a group that includes SEIU — since January, reaching 76 tentative agreements.

“Although today’s work stoppage is regrettable, the city will continue to negotiate in good faith with the coalition, and I have every confidence that we will achieve a positive outcome,” he said in a statement.

The union’s contract includes language barring its members from going on strike or staging “other concerted action resulting in the withholding of service.” However, state labor law allows the union to go on strike to protest unfair labor practices, according to SEIU officials.

Green, the SEIU president, portrayed Tuesday’s 24-hour strike as a success, saying it has given the union “a lot of momentum” as it heads back into negotiations. The walkout, he said, showed that the city’s workers “are really a force to be reckoned with.”

“The days of disrespecting city workers is over,” he said. “And you’re seeing it with solidarity summer.”

More to Read

Striking hotel workers reach contract agreements with 5 more hotels in months-long fight

Feb. 9, 2024

Nearly half of SoCal hotels involved in local strike have reached tentative deals with workers

Jan. 12, 2024

Hotel workers go on strike at Hyatt, Hilton in Pasadena ahead of Rose Parade

Dec. 31, 2023

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David Zahniser covers Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times.

Rachel Uranga covers transportation and mobility for the Los Angeles Times. She previously reported for the Los Angeles Business Journal, Reuters in Mexico City and Southern California News Group, where she later served on its editorial board.

Rebecca Ellis covers Los Angeles County government for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered Portland city government for Oregon Public Broadcasting. Before OPB, Ellis wrote for the Miami Herald, freelanced for the Providence Journal and reported as a Kroc fellow at NPR in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Brown University in 2018. She was named a finalist for the 2022 Livingston Awards for her investigation into abuses within Portland’s private security industry.

Akiya Dillon was a 2023 reporting intern on the Los Angeles Times’ Metro desk. A rising senior at Duke University, she studies political science, English and journalism. While writing for the 9th Street Journal’s Courthouse Project, Dillon realized her passion for criminal justice and storytelling. For fun, the Las Vegas native enjoys collecting sneakers, trying new restaurants and binging true-crime docuseries.

Milla Surjadi was a 2023 Metro reporting intern at the Los Angeles Times. A New York City native, she is a rising senior at Duke University, where she studies English and journalism. She served as editor in chief of the Chronicle, Duke’s independent student newspaper, last year. She has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and written for the 9th Street Journal and IndyWeek.

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Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

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Home » Prices and Trans-Siberian Tickets » Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

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The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service.

Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn’t, many people didn’t feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.”

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule.

The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin.

The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year.

Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search.

The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws .

SEIU Benefits

SEIU Financial Services Program

FINANCIAL EDUCATION Financial education to guide members to the right products and help with broader financial issues. More information available soon. CREDIT CARD SEIU is launching a new credit card uniquely designed for our members. This top-quality rewards Visa card eliminates costly fees and helps save money–all while offering a fantastic rewards program. Learn more. If you are currently a carrier of the AFL-CIO credit card and interested in switching to the purple Visa, email us [email protected].

PREPAID DEBIT CARD Ideal for members without checking accounts or who want a lower cost way to bank. Use this Visa card to receive your pay through free direct deposit. Conveniently pay your every day expenses and bills. Send money to family or friends without high fees. Link your card to a high-yield savings account. Safer than cash. Learn more or Call 1-800-337-6520 and ask for the SEIU for You Visa Prepaid Card. Other Financial Services

CREDIT COUNSELING PROGRAM Offers high-quality confidential financial guidance, free consumer credit counseling services, and debt management assistance. Learn more at www.unionplus.org/creditcounseling.

LOAN Competitive-rate, personal and home equity loans. Ideal for debt consolidation. Apply online at www.unionplusloan.com or call 1-888-235-2759.

YOUR CREDIT SCORE Learn your credit score and get help improving it. Visit www.unionplus.org/creditscore. ________________________________________ Computers DELL COMPUTERS Discounts on computers and accessories. Visit www.unionplus.org/computers. ________________________________________  Entertainment ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS Save on movie tickets, movie rentals, theme parks, theater, museums, aquariums, sporting events, and skiing. Visit www.unionplus.org/entertainment for details. ________________________________________ Family Services LEGAL SERVICE Free and discounted legal assistance. Visit www.unionplus.org/legal to search for an attorney online or call 1-888-993-8886 for a referral by phone. EDUCATION SERVICES Provides information about education services: loans and scholarships; how to select a college and prepare for college entry tests; buying books from a union-organized online bookstore; and much more. Visit www.unionplus.org/education for details. Talk to a financial aid counselor at 1-877-881-1022. PET SERVICES Cut the cost of owning a pet. Save 25% on veterinarian services, 10% on pet health insurance premiums, and much more. Visit www.unionplus.org/pets. ________________________________________ Gift Shop FLOWER SERVICE Save 15% when you send flowers. To place an order visit www.unionplus.org/flowers or call 1-888-667-7779. ________________________________________ Health and Well-Being HEALTH SAVINGS Save an average of 18% on prescription costs and reduce out-ofpocket expenses on a variety of health care services such as dental and vision care, and more. Call 1-800-228-3523 or visit www.unionplus.org/healthsavings for details. HEALTH CLUB DISCOUNTS Get discounts on new health club memberships at over 1,500 health clubs including Bally’s Fitness, Select World, and Gold’s Gym across the country. Visit www.unionplus.org/health-clubs.cfm for details. ________________________________________ House and Home MORTGAGE AND REAL ESTATE For low down payments and reduced closing costs, visit http://www.unionplus.com/benefits/home/mortgage.cfm NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES Savings on interstate moves. Call 1-800-524-5533 or visit http://www.unionplus.org/moving-vans.cfm HEATING OIL If you live in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island or Southern Connecticut, take advantage of this home heating oil discount and get a free service contract and discounts on oil purchases. ________________________________________ Purchasing Power SEIU’s over 2 million members, along with other members of the AFL-CIO, gives the more than 13 million union members and their families substantial purchasing power.

Through member-only programs offered by SEIU in partnership with Union Privilege–a program founded by the AFL-CIO to provide consumer benefits–we’re able to provide you and your family with special discounts, rates, and savings. As a SEIU member or retiree, you’re entitled to member-only benefits such as skip payments and financial assistance in the event of disability or layoff. These programs are designed specifically for union members and their families. To learn more about Union Privilege and its programs, visit www.unionplus.org or call 1-800-452-9425 or 202-293-5330. ________________________________________ Insurance Protection LIFE INSURANCE Protect your family with term insurance at a low group rate. Premium waiver during layoffs. Visit www.unionplus.org/insurance. ACCIDENTAL DEATH INSURANCE Receive Workplace Accidental Death Insurance at no cost; or purchase All-Cause Accidental Death coverage. Visit www.unionplus.org/insurance. AUTO INSURANCE Members who purchase this insurance save an average of $350 on their auto insurance bill. For quotes, go to www.unionplus.org/autoinsurance or call 1-800-294-9496 to apply. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE This coverage can fill the gap in an employer liability policy and is available to nurses, dental assistants and hygienists, social workers, pharmacists and other medical professionals at competitive group rates. For an application, call Seabury & Smith at 1-800-621-3008. ________________________________________ Travel and Recreation VACATION TOURS Discounted international travel packages. Call 1-800-590-1104 or visit www.unionplus.org/travel. CAR RENTALS Save up to 25% on car rentals. Visit www.unionplus.org/carrentals or call: Avis-1-800-698-5685, ID#B723700 Budget-1-800-455-2848, ID# V816100 ________________________________________ Union Marketplace GOODYEAR TIRE AND SERVICE Save up to 10% when you service your car or buy tires, and support union workers who make many Goodyear tires. Visit www.unionplus.org/goodyear. CINGULAR WIRELESS Save up to 10% on cellular phone service with a unionized wireless phone company. Visit www.unionplus.org/cingular. POWELL’S BOOKSTORE Save on new and used books and textbooks at this discount unionized Internet bookseller. Visit www.unionplus.org/books. UNION-MADE CHECKS Union-printed checks and return-address labels that feature your union logo. Call 1-888-864-6625. UNION-MADE CLOTHING Save up to 5% on union-made clothing from two providers of union-made apparel. ________________________________________ UAW Consumer Buying Guide Purchase vehicles produced by workers who enjoy the benefits and protections of a union contract. View the 2009 United Auto Workers (UAW) Consumer Buying Guide.

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