Home care workers launch campaign to address Shasta’s long-term care crisis

Press Contact:
Brandon Lim, brandonl@seiu2015.org, (213) 677-6284
February 4, 2025
Posted in Press Release
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If successful, would positively impact more than 8,000 community members

Shasta County, CA – Today, Shasta’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers, members of SEIU Local 2015—the nation’s largest long-term care union representing more than half a million workers across California—rallied at the Board of Supervisors meeting, urging elected officials to invest in long-term care.

In Shasta and across California, the population of older adults is growing, increasing the demand for in-home care. Yet, lack of access to the wages and benefits needed to provide for their families is driving IHSS workers out of the caregiving profession, with one in five caregivers saying they may leave the industry.

IHSS is a social service that ensures people who need long-term care the freedom to stay in Shasta County by receiving services in the comfort and safety of their own homes. In Shasta, more than 4,200 IHSS workers provide essential long-term care—paramedical, personal care, and household services—to more than 4,500 older adults and people with disabilities, including veterans.

Despite their vital role in Shasta’s long-term care system, IHSS providers earn $18.10 an hour—far below what’s needed to cover household expenses for workers and their families.

“The work we do keeps the people we care for safe, healthy and housed, reducing Shasta’s crime and homelessness rates while maintaining stability for our families and community, ” said Harry Madson, a Shasta County IHSS worker. 

“Investing in IHSS workers isn’t just the ethical thing to do, it’s one of the most fiscally responsible decisions a county can make. For many in Shasta, receiving long-term care through IHSS is the only alternative to moving into an expensive nursing home, costs the state often covers,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Kim Evon. “In order to adequately prepare for Shasta’s future, Supervisors must invest in the IHSS program and raise wages for workers.”

SEIU Local 2015 is committed to advancing policies that improve the lives of long-term care workers and those they care for. The union’s bargaining team encourages the Board of Supervisors to collaborate to address these pressing issues and ensure that Shasta’s long-term care system is prepared to support the county’s future.

To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.

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SEIU Local 2015 is the largest union in California, representing more than half a million long-term care workers (home care, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living center workers) throughout the state. Its members are as diverse as the state’s population but united in their commitment to caring for California’s older adults and those with disabilities.