If ratified, caregivers are expected to earn $20.57 by July 2026
Ventura County, CA—In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union representing more than half a million workers across California, recently reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year union contract with the Ventura 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 7,887 IHSS workers who provide long-term care. The contract will include:
- A $1.82 increase to IHSS providers’ wage supplement, bringing wages to $19.55 an hour by February 2025 and creating a path to $20.57 by July 2026
- Increased funding to $20,000 for job specific trainings a year (previously $10,000)
- Increased funding to $10,000 for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes protective gloves, surgical masks, hand sanitizer and other protective equipment a year (previously $5,000).
“Being part of the bargaining team has been tough but rewarding. We’ve achieved higher wages for Ventura IHSS providers, and next, in our future contract we’re pushing for healthcare!” said Susie Valencia, an IHSS worker and SEIU Local 2015 bargaining committee member.
Ventura IHSS workers provide a vast array of services, including household work, personal care services and paramedical services to our aging population and those with disabilities.
Across the country, roughly 10,000 people turn 65 every day. As the population requiring in-home care continues to grow in California, these higher standards will help counties like Ventura continue to attract more workers to this essential workforce (and retain them).
SEIU Local 2015 leadership celebrated the news as important progress on the union’s statewide push for improved standards for long-term care workers and equitable access to services for those they care for.
“This victory marks a significant achievement in our statewide campaign to raise wages for IHSS care providers in California. Thanks to the dedication of Union members at the bargaining table and across Ventura County, we are enhancing industry standards.” said SEIU Local 2015 President Arnulfo De La Cruz. “We’re grateful to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors for hearing our call and taking action. This win is a crucial step forward in ensuring that our great IHSS members can afford to live in the cities in which they work in the face of rising costs, and we’re looking forward to seeing other counties across the state follow suit and finally invest in the essential workers taking care of older adults and those with disabilities.”To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.