San Bernardino County IHSS providers have achieved a significant milestone as they secure a contract victory resulting in enhanced wages and comprehensive benefits.
San Bernardino County, CA– The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregivers of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union representing nearly 450,000 caregivers across California, approved a contract agreement in a ratification vote earlier this month, successfully concluding negotiations with the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. effectively puts essential caregivers in the region on a path to a $20 per hour wage.
The full provisions of the contract amount to a nearly 10% wage increase. The agreement has a $1 wage supplement, which will raise wages from $16 per hour to $17 per hour upon its implementation, with a 60-cent increase raising the wage to $17.60 per hour in January 2024. It also provides for $10,000 in new funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), bringing PPE funding to $25,000 in total, as well as $50,000 in new funding for essential training.
“Participating in the bargaining team has heightened my understanding of our work’s significance. Our collective voice and narratives propelled us to victory in San Bernardino county, resulting in a contract that grants better wages and benefits. This achievement reinforces the solidarity within our union, demonstrating our capacity to triumph when united,” expressed Isabel Bryan, a member of the union’s bargaining team and an IHSS provider in San Bernardino County.
Today’s announcement marked a significant step forward in the Union’s statewide push for living wages for long-term care providers.
“This is a huge victory for our statewide efforts to increase wages for IHSS care providers in California. This win was propelled by Union members at the bargaining table and throughout San Bernardino County working to raise standards in the industry,” said SEIU Local 2015 President Arnulfo De La Cruz. “We’re grateful to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for hearing our call and taking action. This win is a crucial step forward in ensuring that our great IHSS members can afford to live in the cities in which they work in the face of rising costs, and we’re looking forward to seeing other counties across the state follow suit and finally invest in the essential workers taking care of older adults and those with disabilities.”
“I’ve been a part of four bargaining teams and this is the most satisfying feeling I’ve had in all the times I’ve bargained with the County. This is the best contract negotiations we’ve had because I think we’ve ensured the Board of Supervisors as a whole understands the needs of home care providers, our recipients, and our families,” said SEIU Local 2015 Regional Vice President and bargaining team member Enrique Camacho. “This wouldn’t be possible without our union and our members. I’m so proud of the work our union has done on behalf of home care. Our success has been years in the making. We did it!”
SEIU Local 2015 is committed to advocating for policies that support in-home care providers and those they care for, including livable wages and benefits, as well as access to training and professional development opportunities.
“As advocates for the well-being of our constituents, the Board of Supervisors in San Bernardino County stands resolutely behind the invaluable support provided by the IHSS workers. Recognizing their dedication, we wholeheartedly extend our unwavering support to these workers, acknowledging the critical role they play in ensuring the welfare of our community.”, said Dawn Rowe,Chair, Third District Supervisor.
Participating SEIU members will be available on-site for interviews and can speak to today’s celebration rally.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.