Member Benefits

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW (“1199NW”) and partner healthcare industry Contributing Employers (Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, St. Anne Hospital, St. Clare Hospital, St. Joseph Medical Center; UW Medical Center Northwest Campus; Valley Medical Center; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington; MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital; MultiCare Auburn Medical Center; MultiCare Valley Hospital; MultiCare Deaconess Hospital; MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital; PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center; Kadlec Regional Medical Center; Swedish Medical Center; Swedish Edmonds; Providence St. Peter Hospital; Providence at Home with Compassus- Snohomish; SOUND Behavioral Health; and Neighborcare Health) have agreed, through the collective bargaining process, to form the SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund (“Fund”).

The Fund provides a range of educational and training benefits for eligible participants. Educational benefits offered through the Fund are in addition to any which are expressly covered by your contract and/or benefits that may be offered by your Contributing Employer.

This Plan document is designed to give you information you need about the programs the Fund offers and about your rights and responsibilities under the Plan. Benefits described in this Plan or otherwise made available by the Fund are not accrued or vested benefits. That means benefits are not promised to continue in their current form or amount into the future and the Board of Trustees,
in its sole discretion, may amend, change and/or discontinue benefits at any time. You must meet all Plan eligibility requirements in order to receive benefits, and the Plan terms that are in effect at the time costs are incurred will determine the benefits that are available to you. Participants who fail to attend or complete requirements of benefits for which the Training Fund has paid any associated costs pursuant to the benefit shall reimburse the Training Fund for all benefits and costs incurred. If the participant uses the benefit for any other reasons besides its intended use for the employee, benefits may be put on hold till associated costs are reimbursed to the Training
Fund.

As new programs and educational opportunities are developed, the information will be made available on the Fund’s website. It is important that you read the Plan document so that you know:
How to use the services the Fund has to offer;
• The programs for which you are eligible to enroll; and
• The policies and procedures that need to be followed so that you can successfully complete your selected program.

The following Plan provisions describe the Fund benefits that are generally available to participants of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and any other participating unions. The benefits available to eligible participants of the public through grant funded programs are set out separately in the documents for those respective grants.

If you have any questions or concerns about your benefits or coverage under this Plan, contact the
Fund Office at:

425.255.0315

15 South Grady Way Suite 321, Renton, Washington 98057

1.01 | General Eligibility Requirements

A. Employees (other than those described in 1.01B below) in the following bargaining unit classifications covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and Contributing Employers are eligible to participate in the Fund, subject tomeeting all required conditions herein:

1. Service/Maintenance
2. Technical
3. LPN
4. RN
5. Professional
6. Non-Professional

B. Ineligible employees: Since Contributing Employers only make contributions on permanent full and parttime employees, per diem employees, independent contractors, and agency staff are not eligible to participate in the Fund for any benefits.

C. To be eligible for Fund benefits you must:

1) Have completed your probationary period.
2) Have worked for a Contributing Employer for the period required by the Trustees
for the specific program for which you are applying (see Article 3).
3) Meet the other eligibility requirements as set forth in this document, and specific
requirements for each certificate/degree-granting program.
4) In the event of a layoff or termination (other than a termination for cause), a
participant is allowed to complete the class for the term.

1.02 | Academic Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility to participate in a particular program or course is limited to employees who meet the minimum academic and other requirements of the program or course. Additionally, any benefits related to school attendance (such as tuition reimbursement), are limited to Fund approved schools.

1.03 | Advance Approval Eligibility Requirement

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, program applicants who enroll in a course or school without receiving formal approval from the Fund in advance of enrollment are not eligible for benefits. The Fund will not provide benefits or assume responsibility for such program applicants.

1.04 | Eligibility Priority Selection

Where the number of eligible employees who have applied for a program or course and who meet the requirements for that program exceeds the number of available training slots, selection shall be made by non-discriminatory criteria established by the Trustees.

Priority criteria may be established for both “new” and “active” participants. A “new” applicant is one who has never before participated in a Fund program; or has not participated in two consecutive academic terms and is seeking to participate; or has completed a Fund program, thereby becoming inactive, and is seeking to participate in a new program. An “active” participant is one currently enrolled in any Fund program or who has been enrolled within the last two academic terms but has not yet
completed the Fund program in which they were enrolled

1.05 | Eligibility for Grant-Funded Programs

The Fund develops and seeks grant funding on an ongoing basis. For an employee to be eligible to participate in these grant-funded programs, the employee must be employed by an institution that is a participant in the grant and must meet the specific criteria required by the grant.

1.06 | Non-Discrimination

It is Fund’s policy that no one shall be treated differently, separately or have any action taken on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, or because they are an individual with a disability or a person 40 years or older where a person is otherwise qualified or could be with reasonable accommodation. The Fund does not tolerate discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, of any type. If a participant feels that they have experienced or witnessed any form of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, they should immediately contact the Director of Program Operations at with the complaint.

All employees must comply with the application procedures and any other requirements established by the Trustees or the Executive Director, in order to be eligible for participation in any of the programs of the Fund.

2.01 | Completion of Forms

To consider a training, course or program for approval, you must complete the Fund’s application form and provide supporting documentation within the established deadlines.

2.02 | Additional Requirements

Depending on the program you apply for, you may need to satisfy additional requirements to be eligible for Fund benefits. Your navigator will be able to work with you to determine what is needed. These additional requirements may include some or all of the following:
A. Proof of counseling meeting with career/academic navigator
B. Verified copies of transcripts and records
C. Verified copies of licenses and certificates
D. Satisfactory completion of assessments and standardized achievement tests
E. Satisfactory completion of preparatory training
F. Satisfactory completion of necessary remediation
G. Formal acceptance by the institution giving the program or course for which the application
is being made
H. Proof of participation in study groups or tutoring
I.Grades per term (submitted to the Fund’s navigators if you are using tuition assistance
benefits)
J.Proof of participation in focus groups, evaluations and other information gathering activities
that enable the Fund to identify new programs and areas of services that need enhancement
K. Other documentation or requirements deemed necessary by the Executive Director.

2.03 | Code of Conduct

Participants shall conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner at all times. Conduct that interferes with Fund operations, discredits the Fund, or is offensive to Fund employees or fellow participants will not be tolerated. The following conduct may result in the temporary suspension or permanent termination of Fund benefits:
1) The reporting to class or Fund-funded event under the influence of alcoholic beverages,
marijuana and/or illegal drugs and narcotics, or the use, sale, dispensing, or possession
of alcoholic beverages, marijuana and/or illegal drugs and narcotics at the Fund offices
or Fund facilities.
2) The use of threatening, vulgar or abusive language.
3) The possession of firearms or other weapons at training offices, training facilities or job
sites.

4) Insubordination or the refusal to follow a Navigator’s reasonable instructions concerning a Fund-related matter.
5) Physical fighting with or assault on a Fund employee or participant.
6) Theft, destruction, defacement, or misuse of Fund property or of another participant’s property.
7) Loaning any Fund property without the written permission.
8) Falsifying or altering any Fund record or report.
9) Threatening or intimidating Fund employees or participants.
10) Failure to wear assigned safety equipment or failure to abide by safety rules or inappropriate personal appearance.
11) Engaging in any form of sexual harassment.
12) Inappropriate or unauthorized use of social media, including but not limited to emails, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. 

3.01 | Benefits Under the Fund

Fund benefits include the following:

A. Assessment, Education Navigation and Career Counseling
B. Education Support Services
C. Tuition assistance for programs of study or college programs, etc., for individuals and cohort groups
D. Professional development and Continuing Education Units (CEU’s)
E. Professional/Technical unit conference travel and attendance
F. RN specialty certification fee
G. Apprenticeship

Specific eligibility and benefit criteria for each benefit are set out below.

The Fund tuition assistance benefits to help cover the cost of attending school programs for career advancement and new careers in healthcare.

A. To be eligible for tuition assistance applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Applicants must have at least one year of continuous service with a Contributing Employer. (The length of service requirement for Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium participants is referenced in 3.07).
2. Applicants must have no written corrective action on file currently and for the previous one-year period.
3. Enrolled students must provide proof of satisfactory academic progress with grades as set by the specific school/college program.