Ventura, CA – Today, Ventura County IHSS workers and members of SEIU Local 2015 – the nation’s largest long-term care union and California’s largest labor union representing more than 470,000 nursing home workers and home care providers – rallied at the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to demand fair, livable wages and healthcare benefits for IHSS care providers.
Ventura County IHSS care providers are in the process of negotiating a contract that includes livable wages, crucial for recognizing the valuable work they provide and improving their financial security. The current Ventura County IHSS wage—$18.25 an hour—is only 65.3% of the living wage for a one-person household in Ventura County. Even more alarming, the IHSS wage is only 37.44% of the living wage in Ventura County for a household with one child. A wage increase will help caregivers, who are most often women of color, care for themselves and their families without facing heavy financial stress.
This event precedes SEIU Local 2015’s “Vote for the Future of Care” event on September 11th as part of the union’s statewide day of action to mobilize voters—including in key swing states—to support candidates who will invest in strengthening the care economy, improve care jobs and support care workers’ access to labor unions. With the November election around the corner, this Get Out The Vote campaign aims to elect care champions up and down the ballot. The union is proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President and the full list of endorsed candidates can be found on SEIU Local 2015’s Ballot Recommendations.
IHSS care providers, who are predominantly women of color, perform physically and emotionally demanding work yet receive sub-livable wages. The current Ventura County IHSS wage falls significantly short of the living wage needed to support themselves and their families. Increased wages and benefits are essential for retaining current caregivers and attracting new workers, ensuring a stable and high-quality care system for Ventura County’s aging population.
These demands highlight the importance of electing leaders who understand the significance of quality care and the rights of caregivers. The November election will have a direct impact on the future of care, labor, and democracy. SEIU 2015 is ready to elect care champions who will work with us to ensure that long-term care jobs are stable, dependable jobs with fair wages, adequate training, and comprehensive benefits—candidates like Harris who have long supported caregivers (see one minute mark).
A recent SEIU 2015 survey of Ventura County IHSS workers revealed that:
- 73.3% of IHSS providers in Ventura County reported working multiple jobs to make ends meet. An IHSS provider working full-time earns, on average, $26,617 a year before taxes, which is insufficient to cover basic essentials, even for a single adult.
- 60.3% of Ventura IHSS providers reported having difficulty paying their mortgage or rent each month.
- 1 in 5 Ventura IHSS providers spend more than 75% of their income on housing.
- Approximately 51% of Ventura IHSS providers reported being sometimes or often unable to access medication because they cannot afford the cost of prescriptions.
One in five home care providers say they may leave the industry, citing low wages and lack of benefits. Increased pay is essential to improving care, retaining current caregivers, and attracting new workers to this vital profession. In 2023, Ventura County had 860,070 unused IHSS hours, meaning many individuals were not able to get the care they needed. The IHSS Program provides services to approximately 7,137 low-income aged, blind, and disabled consumers in a given month in Ventura County and the caseload will continue to grow annually. Ventura County must value and invest in these indispensable workers to ensure a stable and quality care system for its growing elderly population.
The Biden/Harris administration was the first to acknowledge that the care economy serves as critical national infrastructure and in need of significant investment. Now the Harris/Walz ticket has centered care in their economic agenda, including child care benefits and a child tax credit. While serving as a U.S. Senator, Vice President Harris introduced the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act to ensure that caregivers are no longer excluded from the basic job protections in our federal labor laws; and she worked a day alongside a home care provider in 2016. Long-term care workers also endorse candidates who align with SEIU 2015’s Justice Agenda.
SEIU 2015 members provide care for older adults and people with disabilities, ensuring that they receive the support they need to lead safe and fulfilling lives. Care providers are primarily women, women of color, and immigrants. Nationally, in-home care workers are 87% women, 62% people of color, and 31% are immigrants. In California, in-home care workers are 80% women, 74% people of color, and 47% immigrants. The expectation that women—especially women of color—work tirelessly for low wages and minimum protections is a result of structural racism.
The November election will have a direct impact on the future of care, labor, and democracy. SEIU 2015 is ready to elect care champions who will work with us to ensure that long-term care jobs are stable, dependable jobs with fair wages, adequate training, and comprehensive benefits.
Home care is the nation’s fastest-growing job sector. From 2020 to 2030, the U.S. will need to fill an estimated 4.7 million home care jobs, including over one million new jobs. California is projected to have 1.1 million job openings for personal care aides between 2018 and 2028. As the aging population grows at an accelerating rate, more and more will require care—we need to retain and grow this sector’s workforce. It’s essential that we elect candidates committed to investing in the care infrastructure that our communities rely on.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.