IHSS caregivers note that the county is responsible for lifting their wages and insist that paying for the county’s sex abuse lawsuits should not fall on their backs.

LOS ANGELES, CA—Yesterday, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) home care providers—members of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union, and California’s largest labor union representing more than half a million home care providers and nursing home workers, including more than 225,000 Los Angeles IHSS workers—gathered at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. They were joined by care recipients and supporters to hear the county’s budget presentation, hoping to hear a plan to address their low wages, improve healthcare, training, and other critical employment benefits.

Instead, care providers were disappointed that they were never mentioned in the budget presentation. This comes after the county’s unprecedented payout to settle sex abuse claims for $4 billion dollars, read more.

“Not being mentioned in today’s presentation sends a message that the county simply doesn’t care. Caring for my daughter who’s non-verbal with Cerebral Palsy takes round-the-clock care,” said L.A. IHSS provider, Rosa Andresen. “We rely on Medicaid for my daughter’s in-home care and government assistance like Food Stamps to put food on the table each month, since I had to quit my job to care for her. I want the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to see that we’re essential workers and we need care to be prioritized.”

“My low wages have left me and my daughter  on the edge. Experiencing homelessness as a home care provider in LA County and as a single parent to a 13-year-old child has been an experience that no essential frontline worker should ever endure,” said L.A. IHSS provider, Maria Torrez. “We had to sleep on people’s couches before we were able to get back on our feet. And I know I’m not the only IHSS provider in L.A. struggling like this. That’s what I want the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to know, that we matter.”

This comes a week after home care providers delivered comments at the public board meeting on April 8th on the need to invest in home care and improve the lives of the county’s largest low-wage workforce—a workforce made up predominantly of women, and women of color who serve as the backbone of our long-term care system. 

At that April 8th meeting, SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Carmen Roberts said, “Investing in Los Angeles County IHSS is one of the smartest commitments this County can make. For every $1 in wages and benefits, the County contributes just 17 cents.. That’s a return few programs can match. And the impact of these wages goes far beyond the caregivers themselves — they create and support thousands of jobs and bring in nearly $1 billion of state and federal monies into our local economy.”

In times like this, with the threats of cuts and chaos coming from the White House, the IHSS program is more important than ever as it can bring in millions of dollars that help stabilize local jobs and economies—not to mention a quarter of a million L.A. County households relying on care.

A recent SEIU 2015 survey shows:

• 87% of IHSS providers in L.A. County reported working multiple jobs, at least some of the time,  to make ends meet.
• 69% struggle with housing payments. 65% spend at least half of their income on housing, and 26% spend at least three-quarters of their income on housing.
• 37% currently rely on public assistance programs like CalFresh, Section 8, and MediCal to supplement their poverty wages. 
• More than 45% access food banks and/or CalFresh at least once per month. When you add in those who report they’ve had to occasionally access food assistance, that jumps to 64% of LA’s IHSS providers. That’s 141,000 hardworking county residents who would otherwise go hungry on IHSS wages.
• More than half are  struggling with their healthcare coverage—they’re sometimes or often unable to access medication because they can’t afford the cost of prescriptions and report skipping doctor appointments due to concerns about cost.

Last year, Los Angeles County had more than 10.6 million authorized consumer care hours that went unserved, indicating a shortage of providers that left recipients without needed care. Currently, Los Angeles County caregivers earn $18.50 an hour, but a living wage in the county is $27.81 for a single person. If you add one child to that household, and the wage needed to survive in Los Angeles County is $48.65. 

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. We urge the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to work with us to address these pressing issues and ensure that all who qualify have access to the care they need and deserve in the comfort of their own homes.To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.