The Office and Professional Employees International Union was chartered in 1945 by the American Federation of Labor. At the time of its founding, the membership of the Union numbered 22,000. The Union now counts 145,000 members and is one of the larger unions in the AFL-CIO. As it moves into its 57th year of chartered existence, the OPEIU has local unions functioning throughout the fifty states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia
The Union represents and bargains for both private and public sector professional and semiprofessional workers laboring in most of the major industries in the United States. The OPEIU is also affiliated with a number of state and national professional organizations.
OPEIU members work in industries varied as motion picture industry, banking, insurance, universities, shipping, hospitals and nursing homes, utilities, transportation, manufacturing, paper companies, hotels and many more. They are in positions as varied as computer programmers and operators, engineers, secretaries, nurses, accountants, attorneys, transit supervisors, security guards, bank tellers, administrative aides, quality control personnel, doctors, models, police and others.
Who We Represent:
OPEIU Local 174 is the Motion Picture Industry Union representing over 1700 workers employed in administrative support positions employed at Universal Studios, Uni Music Group, Universal Television, Fox Studios, Warner Bros Studios, Warner Bros. Studio Facilities, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Motion Picture Health and Pension Plan, Cinematographers Guild Administration and Walt Disney Enterprises
Opeiu Local 174 members have gained major through the collective bargaining process in:
Wage Increases, Medical Benefits, Pension Benefits, Overtime Pay, Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, Representation, Grievance and Arbitration, Temporary Job Placement and Job Referral Service.
Sisters and Brothers:
As the United States and nations throughout the globe are facing concerns related to the new coronavirus known as COVID-19, I feel it's important to speak directly to all OPEIU members and share the following information.
OPEIU is taking very seriously this pandemic and its impact on our members and the industries in which they work. We are working with our local leaders throughout the country to put in place protocols to ensure we best serve our members and your needs during this crisis. We are also following directives given to businesses and organizations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). OPEIU staff and leadership have taken several steps to limit potential exposure, including instituting a travel ban and restrictions according to potential geographic threat levels, restrictions on modes of transportation, and the instituting of a remote work policy when possible.
We also are currently seeking resources to help our members deal with pressing financial concerns such as credit counseling, and mortgage and rent relief and will provide those resources on our website in the very near future.
We also will be pressing both federal and state governments to adopt measures that protect the health and safety, as well as the financial security of working people, including paid sick leave. And, as a union representing more than 14,000 nurses and healthcare professionals, we are working with the OPEIU Nurses Council (ONC) to push for measures that protect the health of those working on the front lines of our healthcare system.
For now, there are a number of steps that everyone can take to keep yourself safe and help stop the spread of the virus, including these basic hygiene practices recommended by the CDC:
- Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or cloth when you sneeze or cough, or use your elbow. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
Also, please follow all guidelines issued by your state and local governments, particularly in the nation's hot spots, such as New York, Washington state and California.
OPEIU has posted a number of resources on our website at OPEIU.org under the COVID-19 section. Included are current recommendations of the CDC and WHO. We will continue to update this information as it becomes available.
Thank you all for the caution you're showing to keep yourself, families and co-workers safe during this very difficult and uncertain time. Your union is standing beside you and your family, and is working to protect you and our nation's economy.
In solidarity,
Richard Lanigan
President
Sick or Quarantined
If you’re unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim. DI provides short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week.
The Governor’s Executive Order waives the one-week unpaid waiting period, so you can collect DI benefits for the first week you are out of work. If you are eligible, the EDD processes and issues payments within a few weeks of receiving a claim.
For guidance on the disease, visit the California Department of Public Health website.
Caregiving
If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim. PFL provides up to six weeks of benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages because they need time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week. If you are eligible, the EDD processes and issues payments within a few weeks of receiving a claim.
School Closures
If your child’s school is closed, and you have to miss work to be there for them, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Eligibility considerations include if you have no other care options and if you are unable to continue working your normal hours remotely. File an Unemployment Insurance claim and our EDD representatives will decide if you are eligible.
Reduced Work Hours
If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to COVID-19, you can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim. UI provides partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced, through no fault of their own. Workers who are temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19 and expected to return to work with their employer within a few weeks are not required to actively seek work each week. However, they must remain able and available and ready to work during their unemployment for each week of benefits claimed and meet all other eligibility criteria. Eligible individuals can receive benefits that range from $40-$450 per week.
The Governor’s Executive Order waives the one-week unpaid waiting period, so you can collect UI benefits for the first week you are out of work. If you are eligible, the EDD processes and issues payments within a few weeks of receiving a claim.