Yreka, CA — Yesterday, Siskiyou’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers, members of SEIU Local 2015—the nation’s largest long-term care union representing nearly 490,000 long-term care workers across California—rallied and spoke out during public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand county officials accept proposals for their first-ever union contract.
Negotiations have dragged on for over 2 years while Siskiyou County faces a care crisis that threatens the health and safety of older adults, people with disabilities, and long-term care workers. There are just over 490 IHSS workers in the county, and they provide skilled long-term care (e.g. paramedical, personal care, and household services) to more than 580 community members.
Despite their vital role in Siskiyou’s long-term care system, IHSS workers earn just $16 an hour. They are the only IHSS workforce in California that is still paid minimum wage and lacks the protections of a collective bargaining agreement.
Workers spoke out to demand Siskiyou Supervisors negotiate with SEIU 2015 to pass a union contract with the wages needed to attract and retain enough workers to meet the county’s growing demand for in-home care.
Alarmingly, 1 in 5 IHSS workers report likely leaving the industry in coming years due to low wages. The exodus of IHSS workers—if not addressed by Siskiyou Supervisors—will further limit access to critical long-term care for those who need it.
“Before becoming my partner’s full-time IHSS worker, I was an overnight medical technician in assisted living facilities. In both roles, I provide highly skilled services like wound and hygiene care, medication management, mobility support, and transportation,” said Alice Demers, a Siskiyou County IHSS worker. “The only thing that changed between then and now was my wage. I went from making $25 an hour to $16. My partner and I had to move out of the home we loved into low-income housing where we experience health and safety hazards. We rely on food banks and food stamps to make sure we eat, and I recently picked up a third job to further supplement my income as the county continues to arbitrarily cut my recipients’ hours.”
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, workers in Siskiyou County must earn at least $20.89 an hour to cover household expenses for a single adult, or $35.77 for a single adult with one child. The gap between the current IHSS wage and what’s needed to survive in Siskiyou is hurting workers and their families.
Across the country roughly 10,000 people turn 65 every day. As the number of older adults and people with disabilities who require in-home care continues to grow in Siskiyou, it is imperative that we raise wages and improve standards for IHSS workers to attract and retain more people to this workforce.
“Raising wages for IHSS workers brings thousands of state and federal dollars into Siskiyou that the county otherwise wouldn’t receive,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Kim Evon. “Siskiyou Supervisors must act today to ensure our community receives the long-term care we need to live and age safely in the communities we know and love.”
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 Board of Supervisors to work with us to address these pressing issues and ensure that all who qualify can access the care they need in the comfort of their own homes.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.