This month in labor news: The people signing you up for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicare are protesting poor working conditions, and Chicago museum workers are celebrating union wins while one union alleges retaliation from its bosses.  IDHS workers in Lincolnwood allege “toxic management,” accessibility issues  Workers at an Illinois Department of Human Services!

IDHS workers in Lincolnwood allege “toxic management,” accessibility issues 

Workers at an Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) office in Lincolnwood, Illinois, are protesting toxic management, client confidentiality risks, and accessibility issues like poorly maintained elevators and no wheelchair ramps, at a place meant to support poor and disabled Illinoisans.

Joanna Kaproulias-Zepeda, an IDHS worker since 2019 who has worked at several locations around the state, says she was shocked by the lack of professionalism, courtesy, training, and workplace safety standards at the agency. 

IDHS workers at the Lincolnwood Family Community Resource Center help people apply for public assistance like SNAP, Medicaid and Medicare, and supplemental cash assistance for people with disabilities. This requires detailed training on federal and state policies. When Kaproulias-Zepeda started her role, she says she spent several months with a designated trainer while learning the ropes. But, since 2023, she says IDHS has jammed that same training into a ten-week online course. “All that’s been eliminated. Everything is now either a PowerPoint or a quick tutorial. If you’re not properly trained, you’re not adequately able to offer the [public aid] programs and . . . offer the services that are required.” 

Elijah Edwards is the president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2858, which represents staff at the Lincolnwood Family Community Resource Center, and has worked for IDHS for 17 years. He says management refuses to support new workers who struggle with the complexities of the job and moves to discipline instead. 

The union says the Lincolnwood office lost more than 40 percent of its staff since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most haven’t been replaced. According to Edwards, inadequate training and strict discipline contribute to high employee turnover. That attrition, Kaproulias-Zepeda says, has made it difficult for workers to help Illinoisans access government assistance. “They’ve become like a government sweatshop,” she says.

Kaproulias-Zepeda says the Lincolnwood office space is not large enough to accommodate workers. The office also does not provide clean water for clients and staff. The break room has three small tables, a fridge, and a coffee machine to share amongst one hundred people who all have to take their break at the same time, forcing them to eat at their desks. 

The union also alleges violations of federal privacy laws. Without cubicles to meet privately with clients, IDHS workers are instructed to conduct interviews in common areas. During client interviews, “we’re sitting in rows [very close] together,” Kaproulias-Zepeda says. “There’s no partitions [between them, so] we can hear each other’s information, see each other’s computer laptops and, [if we wanted to], take pictures [of] the screen.” 

According to workers, the Lincolnwood office supervisor “bullies” staff into conducting their interviews in public places, despite the risks. The union reported the practice to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for investigation. 

Edwards says staff would have more space if remote employees were allowed to work from home. Many caseworkers were hired as work-from-home employees—it’s even enshrined in the union’s contract. But in 2023, Edwards says management mandated that everyone work on-site. IDHS reinstated a remote work policy in response to a complaint the union filed with the NLRB. However, it only allows employees to work from home at their manager’s discretion, which Edwards says is based on how efficiently people complete their work.

In addition, the IDHS office is inaccessible to people with mobility issues, the union charges. The only way for wheelchairs to access the second-floor Lincolnwood Family Community Resource Center is through a ramp privately owned by another medical office. The front door doesn’t open automatically for people with disabilities. And the only accessible elevator cannot be operated independently.
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