| SECURING DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS at UIC: FACT SHEET
o Domestic Partners (DPs) are non-blood relatives who live together and are responsible for each other's financial welfare. DPs are at least 18; are mentally competent; and are not legally married to anyone. o Domestic partner benefits can include medical and dental insurance, disability and life insurance, pension benefits, family and bereavement leave, education and tuition assistance, credit union membership, relocation and travel expenses, and inclusion of partners in company events. 40% of one's total financial compensation package tends to be attached to his/her benefits. Domestic Partnership Benefits are NOT recognized by the U of I. Thus, individuals in committed relationships, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are NOT receiving EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK. o Members of the U of I community have been working to secure Domestic Partnership benefits for its employees for a decade. o The Urbana Senate voted in 1995 to expand the coverage of DP benefits to include both same-sex and opposite-sex partners. By 1997, all three University Senates at Springfield, Urbana-Champaign, and Chicago had passed a resolution stating that they were in favor of providing DP benefits for U of I employees. Furthermore, the city of Chicago, in 1997, was granted the right to define partners independently of the State's definition of spouse. Champaign county (UIUC) has passed a similar measure. o The U of I system has a nondiscrimination policy that has been in publication for over a decade and includes not discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or marital status. o 175 colleges and universities provide DP benefits to its employees, including seven of the Big Ten schools, 100% of the Ivy-League schools, and the entire University of California system. Seven colleges and universities in the State of Illinois provide DP benefits, including health benefits, to its non-married employees. o U of I President James Stukel made his recommendation to the U of I Board of Trustees (BOT) in July 2002 that he is in favor of providing same-sex only DP Benefits to U of I employees. The BOT has yet to vote on the issue, and they removed it from the November agenda hours before they were to vote upon it. o Individuals seeking more information on DP benefits and the issue at
UIC may go to the o TAKE ACTION! WRITE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES: |