United to protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal)
Beginning last month, SEIU 2015 members have been taking bold action to protect Medicaid from proposed budget cuts. More than 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid (also known as Medi-Cal), including those needing home care and nursing home stays. Cuts to the program would be devastating…and not just for those relying on its medical services. This will have humanitarian and economic costs all across the state—service workers who rely on a healthy population to eat at their restaurant…high absence rates of school children who no longer have access to medical care…and of course many caregivers themselves relying on Medi-Cal due to their low wages.
Thousands of members like you made phone calls to Congress, sent text messages to neighbors, showed up at rallies, and visited Congressional offices to protect this vital program. Click here to learn more about our recent “Hands Off Medicaid” actions.
It’s not too late to make your voice heard. Call 1-800-719-0332 to leave a message for your Congressional representative. Explain how Medi-Cal cuts would affect you, your family, and your care recipients. It will take all of us to protect this critical program.
We tell California leaders: Our Care Counts!
Big news! We’ve officially launched Our Care Counts 2025 – our legislative campaign to strengthen California’s home care system through statewide collective bargaining for IHSS providers in California.
The current system of negotiating IHSS contracts county-by-county is slow and inefficient, and it has contributed to care gaps and inequities across the state. AB 283 would fix this problem by creating a process so we can negotiate directly with the state government at one unified bargaining table.
I’m happy to share that AB 283 has passed through the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee with a unanimous 7-0 bipartisan vote. The bill still has to make its way through more committees and be signed by the Governor before it becomes a law, and we must also win the funding needed to raise our contract standards, but this is an important step in strengthening California’s long-term care system. Like our push to protect Medi-Cal, we’ll continue to stand together and use our voices and political strength to protect healthcare and home care as human rights!
Check out our AB 283 “Our Care Counts!” press event
Celebrating victories for care workers
It’s been a good month for IHSS workers in Fresno County. After a long and difficult campaign, we finally reached a tentative contract agreement with the Board of Supervisors that includes wage increases and greater investment in our healthcare!
How did members there win this long-fought campaign? One hugely successful tactic was doing massive voter turnout last November to replace two County Supervisors! Stay tuned for information on Fresno ratification.
I’m also thrilled to share that 90 workers at California Park Rehab Clinic in Chico joined SEIU Local 2015 this month. Congratulations to these workers for exercising your right to unionize – and welcome to the 2015 family!
We just launched our union’s largest IHSS campaign
We’re getting ready to win big in Los Angeles County, too! We launched our LA IHSS contract campaign last week when members came together, learned about the bargaining process, and shared what’s at stake in our fight for an investment in care. Click here to view photos of the powerful launch event.
Our diversity is our strength
I hope our Muslim union family members had a Happy Ramadan and Eid! In March we hosted amazing Ramadan celebrations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. We stood in interfaith solidarity and broke bread in community with allies and elected officials. At a time when some people are trying to divide us, these events were a beautiful reminder of how much stronger we are together.
And as we look back on last month’s Women’s History Month, I’m forever grateful for the power—fueled by love—of the women leaders of this union!