DHS Student Loan Reimbursement Talking Points
General talking points:
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Your story: Talking about how much debt you have and how it impacts your life will always be more impactful than data and facts. Knowing that our coworkers are making hard choices, even with a “good” job is impactful.
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MAPE members made clear by fighting to add language in our contract so agencies could create a reimbursement program that this is a priority for making the state an employer of choice.
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We have the resources to create these programs that attract and retain workers at the state, it is just a matter of management willingness to advocate for their employees.
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Agencies have done this before, Department of Revenue employees won this campaign recently and have a clear policy that members can follow. https://mape.org/news/after-years-organizing-mape-members-dept-revenue-win-student-loan-debt-reimbursement
Conversation starters to help you chat with your coworkers
Hey, have you seen the student loan campaign from MAPE? In the newest contract we won the right to create a program at each agency with management. DHS management has been dragging their feet and haven’t created a policy employees can utilize yet. Personally, having my student loan debt paid off quicker for me means [insert something specific to you here.] The members working on this campaign are asking us to use this zoom background and wear a button at the next DHS in-person event. Do you want to join me in doing that?
Hey, have you heard about MAPEs student loan campaign? I’m excited to see us working on this issue since it impacts a lot of us! The members leading it are asking us to wear buttons, and use this zoom background for our meetings to show support! Do you want to do the zoom background with me?
Hi! MAPE members are working on winning student loan reimbursement since we have language in the contract that allows agencies like DHS to create a policy. DHS is dragging their feet on it though! I know personally, getting some student loan debt relieve means [add here]. Do you have student loan debt? What would some reimbursement from DHS mean for you?
General guidance
When talking to your coworkers about this campaign, make sure to share your personal story and ask questions! On any platform, teams, emails, face to face, virtual meetings etc; you sharing why this matters to you and why you want to invite them to join is important. We can’t do this alone, just like Revenue members showed us, we only win student loan reimbursement by showing up and demanding what we deserve!
Some questions you can use when talking to your coworkers:
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How much student debt do you have?
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Would you go back to school if you didn’t have as much debt?
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What would you do if DHS paid off some of your student loan debt?
Q&A:
How will DHS pay for it?
DHS management will determine how to create budgets to include money for student loan reimbursement. MAPE members have expressed interest in helping the management team figure this out and, in addition, discuss with legislators the importance of the student loan reimbursement program to employees, and how it will help make the State a more competitive employer. DHS has not currently shared information about available resources and resources needed to create the program.
Does DHS currently have a policy? Why doesn’t DHS have one?
DHS has used student loan reimbursement before, as a recruitment and retention tool in Direct Care and Treatment (DCT). As of three months ago, we asked that DHS refresh its policy knowing that the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and DCT will be splitting from DHS. They have not provided a policy nor have they provided a reasonable reason to not working with the union to co-create one. Right now, we have been told there is a “draft” but we have not been invited to help create the policy that would be impacting all of us as MAPE employees.
Why should the state pay off student debts of their workers?
MAPE members have taken on student debt in order to get the jobs they now hold. After years of increased higher education costs and predatory loan programs, many people are forced to choose between long-term stability and paying off student debt. Student debt is a limit to the stability of the state workforce if workers are choosing to go to higher paying jobs in the private sector or to work at agencies and counties that do have the student loan reimbursement program active. Investing in workers by helping them pay off education debts is an investment in the state workforce that Minnesota needs to keep our state strong.
What do we need to do to get a policy we can use?
While MAPE has made progress in getting support from the state to help with student loan support, we need more support from management. DHS has been dragging their feet on creating a policy and sharing it with MAPE member leaders. Revenue employees won their campaign with persistence and telling their stories in all meetings where decision makers were present. This means using zoom backgrounds, wearing buttons and writing emails to decision-makers.
Is addressing student debt something that state and local governments should even be doing?
State and local government pay has been outpaced by work in the private sector and with more jobs offering telework, workers have more options than ever. The state of Minnesota’s future is dependent on state workers staying at the state, transferring knowledge and working everyday to carry out the mission and values of their agency. Let’s be clear, every agency in the state has its own unique recruitment and retention issues; adding student loan reimbursement as a recruitment and retention tool will only help attract and retain the best workers at the state. To continue to be an employer of choice, DHS needs to take steps to address the barriers DHS employees face, including student loan debt.
What does our contract say about student loan debt?
The student loan reimbursement pilot has been made permanent and moved into the main body of the contract. However, it is up to each agency if they would like to implement the program.
The reimbursement amounts remain the same as in the pilot program, and granting reimbursement is still at the discretion of the employer, as before. Student loan reimbursement payments shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar year per employee, up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in total payments.
DHS employees also have this language in our supplementals in the back of the contract.
Why should we address student loan debt now? No one helped me pay off mine.
A well-educated workforce benefits every single Minnesotan. No one should be forced to make hard decisions because of debt they took on just to access their jobs at the State. In the workforce we get to build together, and addressing the hardships currently facing our members is important. You shouldn’t have had to choose between paying off student loan debt and building a dignified life. People shouldn’t have to earn, through pain and hardship, the basic human right of education and a dignified life. DHS having a student loan reimbursement policy helps us build a workforce we all benefit form.