City of Chicago Bulletin: March 18, 2025

Some employees receive I-9 form requests

Council 31 was recently made aware that a number of employees in multiple city departments had received emails from management asking them to fill out and submit I-9 forms. Form I-9 is a federal eligibility verification form that every employee in the United States—both in the public and private sectors—must fill out when starting employment. Employees provide proof of documentation that they are eligible to work in the United States, such as a “green card” or work visa for non-citizen residents.

These emails were not sent in collaboration with any federal agency but rather as part of an internal audit to make sure that Chicago is in compliance with federal law, as there are large fines for non-compliance.

Employees have the right to request extensions to complete the form should they need more time to make sure their documentation is up to date. Council 31 is continuing to monitor this process to ensure that employees' rights are protected.

Congressional Republicans planning to catastrophically cut Medicaid

As part of the federal budget process, U.S. House Republicans passed a budget resolution in a party-line vote on Feb. 25 that would make steep cuts to Medicaid and other vital programs in order to help pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. The resolution mandates the House Energy and Commerce Committee—which oversees the program—to cut spending under its jurisdiction by $880 billion.

Should the federal government cut this amount from the Medicaid program, nearly every City of Chicago resident would be affected—regardless of whether they are enrolled in the program or not. Illinois received over $20 billion in federal Medicaid dollars in Fiscal Year 2024.

Such cuts would also devastate the health infrastructure of both the state and the City of Chicago. Multiple Chicago hospitals are “safety-net” hospitals, meaning that most patients at those hospitals are covered by Medicaid. Over 80% of people served by community mental health centers are also currently covered by Medicaid, along with 50% of births in the state. Medicaid is also the primary funder for many health clinics, nursing homes, and veterans’ homes in Illinois.

While the plan in this form did not pass in the Senate, there’s no doubt that the House’s adoption of such draconian cuts will set the table for an all-out assault on Medicaid over the coming months.

That’s why AFSCME has set Wednesday, March 19 as a nationwide Protect Medicaid Day of Action. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved in this critical battle to preserve access to health care in our city, our state and our country.

Stand with NALC to oppose dismantling the Postal Service

On March 23 at 11:30 a.m., the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will hold a rally in Chicago’s Federal Plaza in response to reports that President Trump is preparing an Executive Order that would fire the Postal Board of Governors and bring the USPS under his control in order to turn its functions over to private for-profit companies.

The U.S. Postal Service is a constitutionally mandated government service. The USPS takes no tax dollars and funds its operations solely via sales of its services. The agency maintains a universal service obligation that delivers to all 167 million addresses in the U.S. six days per week. This is crucial for residents who depend on Social Security checks, prescription medication, and other vital mail, including mail-in ballots—which Trump may try to stop if he wrests control of the USPS. 

Now, Trump is attempting to re-institute political control over the Postal Service—and AFSCME is joining with our fellow public service workers to oppose efforts to privatize this core public service. AFSCME members in the City of Chicago are encouraged to join the rally and stand with Postal Workers in this fight. More information coming soon.