Fresno County home care providers—mostly women and women of color— reach a tentative agreement with Board of Supervisors - SEIU2015

If ratified, caregivers are expected to earn $18.35 by September 2025

This milestone comes after caregivers used their collective power last November to elect care champions to the Board

Fresno County, CA – The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union representing more than 500,000 caregivers across California, recently reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year union contract with the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

If ratified by SEIU Local 2015 members and approved by the Board of Supervisors, the new contract will raise standards for approximately 24,000 IHSS workers who provide long-term care. The contract includes:

A $1.25 increase to IHSS providers’ wage supplement on top of the current $0.60 bringing wages to $18.35 an hour by September 2025.
Additional funding for health benefits to maintain affordable coverage for providers

“Getting to this point of reaching a tentative agreement has been a long time coming for the approximately 24,000 Fresno County care providers like me who care for our seniors in our community,” said Fresno IHSS provider Olga Valle. “We have fought the good fight for all our fellow SEIU 2015 members. We are happy that we have come to an agreement on our wages for all Fresno County care providers. It’s amazing to build collective power together and win for our communities to thrive. Winning a $1.25 wage increase AND retaining the right to keep our healthcare, which is what so much of our fight was about, is an amazing victory. Even better, the 15 cent increase to our health insurance means more members will receive more health benefits! Yes, that means 24,000 of us in Fresno County!”

“This is a promising victory that we’ve reached because of the dedication of our members and of the Fresno community that has supported caregivers and recognized the vital work we do,” said Marcus Mc Rae, Executive Vice President of SEIU Local 2015. “The tentative agreement is an important indication that the new Fresno Board of Supervisors will be committed to supporting the needs of all of their constituents, including seniors and people with disabilities. As the need for caregivers continues to increase, agreements like this bring us closer to a Future of Care where we will be able to attract and retain enough providers.”

Across the country roughly 10,000 people turn 65 every day. As this number of aging adults and people with disabilities who require in-home care continues to grow in California, these higher standards will help counties continue to attract more care providers to this workforce (and retain them).

Fresno County IHSS providers plan to vote to approve the tentative agreement on their new union contract. This announcement drew praise from SEIU Local 2015 leadership and marked a step forward in the union’s statewide push for livable wages. If ratified, this contract will be the most significant increase ever for Fresno IHSS providers.

Providers with a coalition of community members and folks who care about seniors, and the wellness of our communities worked hard to help elect Garry Bredefeld and Luis Chavez to the Fresno Board of Supervisors last November. Their voter outreach efforts helped put these two care champions into office. Click here to check out our Who Cares! podcast episode with Fresno County Supervisor Lu iz Chavez.

SEIU Local 2015 has worked with counties and nursing homes across California to win contracts, securing better workplace protections, improved wages and benefits, and a voice in the care its members provide. These investments in IHSS working conditions will help strengthen the infrastructure of care to help attract and retain caregivers. To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.