San Joaquin In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Campaign Updates

December 17, 2024
Posted in Union Updates
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In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a social service that allows people who need long-term care to receive it in the comfort and safety of their own homes. In San Joaquin County, approximately 8,250 IHSS workers provide long-term care services—including household work, personal care services, and paramedical services—to approximately 9,510 older adults and people with disabilities. Click here to learn more about the essential long-term care IHSS workers provide.

Without our IHSS workers, our neighbors who receive services through IHSS would lose access to essential long-term care. Despite providing critical services, San Joaquin’s IHSS workforce earn $16.50 an hour, only $0.50 above California’s minimum wage and far below the $23.47 hourly wage needed to cover all household expenses in our county.

San Joaquin IHSS workers are joining together to secure a strong contract that increases wages and improves benefits for workers, and guarantees just & equitable access to long-term care for all who need it in our community.

Join us at our next Board of Supervisors action on January 14!

  • When:
    Tuesday, January 14, at 8:30 a.m.
  • Where:
    San Joaquin County Administration Building
    44 North San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
  • What:
    Join with other IHSS workers at the Board of Supervisors meeting to show solidarity with our contract campaign

San Joaquin home care workers, recipients and allies smile and raise fists in the County Administration Building.

On Thursday, December 12:

  • Our bargaining team returned to negotiations with the County to keep making progress toward our next union contract.
  • We’ve made progress toward agreements on many important issues, but still have work to do to secure the wages we need to attract and retain enough caregivers to meet San Joaquin’s demand for in-home care.

On Tuesday, December 10:

  • Home care workers, recipients and our allies at the North Valley Labor Federation attended the County Supervisors meeting to explain how a strong union contract with higher wages is the solution to San Joaquin’s long-term care crisis.

San Joaquin home care workers, recipients and allies attend Board of Supervisors meeting and wait to speak during public comment.

On Tuesday, October 22:

  • San Joaquin home care workers, recipients and allies from the North Valley Labor Federation packed the County Supervisors meeting yesterday, delivering powerful testimony in support of a strong union contract.
  • We’re united in our solidarity and won’t back down until home care workers and those we care for get the respect we need and deserve.
SEIU 2015 member leader, Erika Peña Lopez, gives her testimony during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
SEIU 2015 member, Gurpeet Kaur, gives her testimony during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
IHSS recipient, Jan Foster, gives her testimony during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
SEIU 2015 organizer, Jonathan Guerrero Garcia, shares economic data during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
North Valley Labor Federation organizer, Salvador Valencia, advocates for San Joaquin IHSS workers and public works employees, represented by Teamsters Local 429.

On Tuesday, October 1:

  • San Joaquin home care workers convened at Tracy Branch Library to build solidarity with one another and share the importance of a strong union contract with San Joaquin Supervisor Robert Rickman and Rhodesia Ransom, our endorsed candidate for State Assembly District 13.
  • Member leader, Erika Peña Lopez, shared her story. Supervisor Rickman and Ms. Ransom both shared words with us.
  • We’ll continue sharing our stories and bringing our campaign to our community to guarantee equitable access to long-term care all across San Joaquin County.
San Joaquin home care workers and recipients meet with Supervisor Rickman and State Assembly Candidate Rhodesia Ransom to discuss a strong union contract.

San Joaquin home care workers wearing purple in County Administration Building
San Joaquin home care workers smile and raise fists outside the Board of Supervisors chambers.

On Tuesday, September 24:

  • San Joaquin home care workers showed our unity and strength at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
  • One of our bargaining committee members, Vicky Escalante, spoke during the Public Comment period, urging the Board to consider our union’s proposals.

On Monday, September 23:

  • Our bargaining committee met with San Joaquin County officials to present proposals on most of our priorities, including wage increases, healthcare, and worker safety.
  • Then, we’ll share our stories with our community allies at our next community briefing in Tracy on October 1.

On Tuesday, July 30, 2024:

  • San Joaquin IHSS workers gathered at Arte Del Cafe & Gallery to address our community about the impact a strong IHSS union contract will have on the Future of Care in our county.
  • Stay connected with union members in your neighborhood to learn when we’ll hold a briefing in your community!

On Tuesday, August 13, 2024:

  • San Joaquin IHSS workers spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting to make our message clear: home care workers are essential and deserve a living wage! Listen to SEIU 2015 Bargaining Committee member, Vicky Escalante, speak about the urgent need for higher wages:
Click here to watch Vicky’s full public comment on Youtube
  • We made sure the Board understands what’s at stake for San Joaquin’s older adults and people with disabilities as our county continues to age. Hear more from another Bargaining Committee member, Paul Henderson Sr.:
Click here to watch Paul’s full public comment on Youtube

Earlier this week, we:

  • Attended our first bargaining session with representatives from the San Joaquin County IHSS Public Authority
  • Decided on basic rules for how we want negotiations to proceed
  • Committed to return to the bargaining table on August 14 to discuss our next union contract!
  • Now that contract negotiations are underway, we need activists like you to get involved to ensure we secure a strong contract.

Here are upcoming ways to get involved:

  • Community Briefing with District 1 Supervisor Villapudua
    • When:
      Tuesday, July 30, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    • Where:
      Arte Del Cafe & Gallery
      111 S Sutter St, Stockton, CA 95202
    • What:
      Join with other IHSS workers and our allies to discuss our contract campaign
  • Board of Supervisors Actions
    • When:
      Tuesday, August 13, at 9 a.m. and Tuesday, September 10, at 9 a.m.
    • Where:
      San Joaquin County Administration Building
      44 North San Joaquin St, Stockton, CA 95202
    • What:
      Join with other IHSS workers at the Board of Supervisors meeting to show solidarity with our contract campaign

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events and we can’t wait to build power with you!