Sacramento Valley Union Labor Bulletin

Owned and Published by the Sacramento Central Labor Council and the Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council, official councils of the AFL-CIO

Home health care workers in Sacramento County have won a new contract that will increase pay and create better working conditions. - Courtesy of SEIU 2015
LABOR BULLETIN

Home health care workers win new county contract

Labor Bulletin

By Sheri Williams

Sacramento County in-home supportive service workers—mostly women and people of color—have won a new county contract after a long campaign for needed improvements to wages and benefits.

The new contract helps the union as it works to organize across the state for better wages and working conditions.

The IHSS workers of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union representing more than 450,000 caregivers across California, ratified a new union contract with the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in a vote last month.

“Home care providers are on the frontlines of California’s long-term care crisis, and our work needs to be understood, respected, and compensated,” said Abdullah Awad, IHSS provider and SEIU Local 2015 Bargaining Team Member. “We need to attract people to this profession and make sure these are quality jobs—this contract is a step in the right direction.”

The Board of Supervisors voted to approve the agreement at the end of March, successfully concluding negotiations.

The contract includes a $1.25 wage supplement, raising wages from $17.00 to $18.15 once the contract goes into effect.

It also includes scheduled increases over the next three years bringing pay to a $19.75 wage by January 2027.

A first-time investment of $90,000 in caregiving-related training and education is also included in the new agreement, along with $60,000 in new funding for personal protective equipment.

The new contract is also projected to generate millions of new dollars for Sacramento County through additional tax revenue and incentives from the State and Federal governments. Due to funding incentives from State and Federal sources, Sacramento County only pays 16% of the new cost for IHSS wage increases. Additionally, IHSS workers spend their money locally, ensuring these increased wages will have a direct, immediate, and positive impact in our community.

“IHSS providers wear many hats, and we handle diverse tasks to ensure the well-being of seniors and people with disabilities—from wound care to injections to mobility assistance,” said Sharon Duchessi, IHSS provider and SEIU Local 2015 Bargaining Team Member. “I’m glad the county will begin investing in training so we can stay informed and keep our clients and ourselves safe.”

The Sacramento contract marks a significant step forward in the union’s statewide push for living wages for long-term care providers.

“I am moved by the strength and solidarity of our Sacramento members—their commitment to improving long-term care in the county will be felt across the entire state,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President, Kim Evon. “Their efforts in Sacramento, along with our campaign to win statewide bargaining, brings us closer to a Future of Care where all caregivers and care recipients can live with dignity and thrive.”

SEIU Local 2015 said it is committed to advocating for policies and workplace improvements that support IHSS workers and those they care for in accessing the resources we need to survive and thrive in our communities.