A union of workers who care for Kern County’s elderly and disabled say they need a pay increase to survive in the state’s costly environment.
Yet the Kern County chapter of the United Domestic Workers union has been locked in a negotiating impasse with the Board of Supervisors since October 2019, unable to come to a deal over how large a pay increase the workers should see.
Currently, union members receive the minimum wage of $13 per hour for providing light nursing care and housekeeping for individuals who would otherwise not be able to live in their homes. Their salaries are paid by a mix of state, federal and local dollars.
Any raise above the minimum wage, however, would be required to be paid by the county.
