We’ve struggled for decades with a broken county-by-county bargaining system that lets hard-working IHSS providers slip through the cracks. That’s why, this year we are working toward creating a bargaining system that is better prepared to support us and recognizes the value and impact of our work across the state.
To achieve this goal, UDW and SEIU 2015 partnered with Assemblymembers from across California in February to introduce AB 1672, the IHSS Employer-Employee Relations Act. If passed, AB 1672 would establish statewide bargaining for IHSS providers and empower us to transform care work into a respected profession with fair wages, no matter what county we live in.
Our union has expanded significantly and gained bargaining power in many counties, securing victories for providers like wage increases, life and health insurance, PPE funding, and emergency backup systems in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties. Unfortunately, in other counties like Alpine, Merced, and Kern, our union members are being left behind and undervalued by local leadership, offering meager compensation or nothing at all. This needs to change!
At a State Capitol press conference earlier this year, Sydney O’Connor from Kern County stated, “Home care workers and the people we care for are so important, but the system doesn’t treat us that way. California can do better for all of us, and I believe statewide bargaining is how
we get there.”
AB 1672 empowers us to bargain as a united front and secure pay equity, good benefits, and training opportunities across the entire state, while addressing the state’s growing care crisis.
We are the key to transforming care in California!
Join us in our efforts to pass AB 1672 by contacting your local office. Together, we can transform care in California!
