The Rise of Care Work
Our union is growing and getting stronger every day. Our movement to empower care workers and improve our communities made huge strides this year, and the heightened awareness of our importance as essential workers is making us a mighty force to be reckoned with. There has never been a more exciting time to be a member of UDW!
At our 17th Constitutional Convention held at UDW offices across the state, UDW caregivers and child care providers came together to celebrate our victories and forge a path forward for our union for many years to come. After helping keep our communities safe during the pandemic and beating back the threat of the recall election, this fall we are appreciating an especially productive year for our union—and gearing up for all the possibilities ahead.
This year we:
• Won our first collective bargaining agreement for child care providers:
We increased rates for CCPU-UDW members for the first time in five years, increased funding for the program, and so much more.
• Ended the 7% cut—for good!: Thanks to the tireless work of UDW on behalf of our clients, we won our fight to remove the last remaining cuts to IHSS hours from state law.
• Stopped the recall: Because he has proven himself to be one of the strongest supporters we’ve ever had in the Governor’s office, we mobilized our membership to stop the wasteful and destructive effort to recall Gavin Newsom.
• Turned up the heat for better
IHSS pay: We passed a bill that will enact a 7% penalty on counties that won’t budge on IHSS raises and that refuse to bargain in good faith. And we passed another bill that makes sure counties have the funds
to pay us.
What’s ahead of us:
• Respecting care work: Now that the pandemic proved how important care work is, we are going to make sure they understand that without care workers there is no care. We will work with state and national leaders to ensure that everyone who needs care gets it, and that care funding is strong and safe from cuts.
• Fighting for what’s fair and equitable: We will continue to combine our fight for higher pay and worker protections with the fight for social justice, looking for new ways to weed out the hate and bias that runs through every institution in this country.
• Protecting the environment: As climate catastrophes escalate, we will step up our fight to ensure everyone has clean air and water and that this planet is here for our grandchildren.
• Fighting for a just economy: We will help lead the way to an economy with good jobs that reward workers for what they contribute to society.
We’ve come so far as a union. We fought hard for our voice. We fought hard for our seat at the table. Stay connected with your union and join us as we lift up care workers—and our communities—for a brighter future for everyone!
To read more about UDW convention, visit https://bit.ly/UDWConvention.
Members Made the Difference
Huge mobilization by UDW members saved the state from disastrous recall
Our wages, our clients’ care, the future of our union—all of it was on the line in the election to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. The leading candidates vying to replace Newsom promised to attack our wages and the programs that help the people we serve if they were elected. So we did what we do best:
We organized and fought back.
We picked up the phones and made over 1.6 million calls to Californians to let them know how important this election was to working people. We sent out email and text messages and knocked on doors throughout the state. We even hosted Newsom and other elected leaders at a press conference at our San Diego headquarters.
Despite millions spent by the opposition, voters up and down the state responded to our message of equity and good governance. We won—and we also sent a message.
“The recall threatened all the progress we’ve made so far. It threatened issues that are critical to people like us such as higher pay, sick leave and the right to join a union,” said UDW Executive Director Doug Moore. “UDW members let the anti-worker billionaires who funded the recall know greed and fear don’t run California; we do.”
Our Voices
What do you want for your future and how will you fight for that through your union?
I want to continue to care for and protect my 6-year-old autistic son and ensure he has all the tools and resources needed to live a happy and safe life. I just found out I have a union and have been getting involved with union activities, I am so happy to be a part of this organization that fights for my son’s rights by protecting a program that he will need throughout his life.
Elisia Soliz, IHSS provider in Stanislaus County
I want child care to be a respected career and profession with access to retirement benefits, affordable health care options, and paid time off. I see that happening for us by having CCPU-UDW on our side and child care providers guiding each other as we fight for what is long overdue. Our union believed in us long before anyone else did. Together we will fight for the tools we need to better serve future generations, and make dreams come true for child care providers everywhere!
Shaunte Brown, Child care provider in San Diego County
I want to keep fighting along with my fellow union brothers and sisters so that elected leaders see the work of home care providers as real, essential, and valuable. One way we can do this is through the power of our union. We can help elect new leaders in our county that are willing to invest in this program, not just for me, but for the future of the aging population and people with disabilities.
Sandy Moreno, IHSS provider in Kern County
IHSS providers are getting a raise on January 1, 2022
Finally! The statewide minimum wage increases to $15 on January 1—a victory UDW members fought hard for in 2016—triggering wage increases for IHSS providers across the state.
And remember! Your UDW membership dues are changing on January 1 as well.
Visit www.udw.org/dues to calculate your new dues.
Dear Fellow UDW Members—
Every November we celebrate Provider Appreciation Month, a time to thank care providers for everything we do to keep our clients safe and healthy and our communities strong and resilient.
Traditionally, we mark the occasion with dinners and celebrations in our home counties, with each region putting its own spin on the annual event. It’s a time to share our struggles and our strengths as caregivers.
Last year, of course, the pandemic upended our plans. But, when UDW hits an obstacle we don’t quit; we just find another way! And so, new traditions like drive-through turkey giveaways and Zoom parties were born to celebrate our members.
Online or in person, one thing is always the same for our Provider Appreciation Month events: the deep gratitude we feel toward our work, toward our clients and the programs they rely on, and toward each other.
Check with your local UDW office to find out what your district is planning for Provider Appreciation Month. Your union appreciates you. You deserve
to be celebrated!
In solidarity,
Editha Adams
IHSS Provider and UDW Statewide President
