IHSS Providers Demand Fair Pay and Dignity from County Leaders
SANTA CLARA, CA — Today, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers across California took part in a statewide day of action to call attention to the urgent need for fair pay and dignity for the state’s essential home care workforce. Under the theme Family Values Start with Valuing Caregivers, caregivers held speak-out events at County Boards of Supervisors across the state.
Organized by SEIU Local 2015, the statewide effort underscores the reality that California’s long-term care system depends on a workforce struggling to make ends meet, even as they care for seniors and people with disabilities who wish to live independently and safely at home.
Home care workers participated in speak-outs across four California counties where IHSS contract negotiations are ongoing: Santa Clara, Solano, Lake and Trinity. IHSS workers in Shasta, Siskiyou, Inyo, Kings and Tulare are also in active negotiations as SEIU Local 2015 members push to make long-term care easier to access across the state.
“The IHSS program cuts costs for long-term care by keeping people in their homes instead of an expensive facility,” said Santa Clara IHSS worker Ceferina Fernandez. “People receive the best care from the people who love them most. I know for a fact that I am the best person to take care of my son.”
“For more than 7,000 families across Solano, the IHSS program is essential for protecting the freedom of choice and independence for our loved ones who need long-term care,” said Minerva Chavez, Solano County IHSS worker. “But without higher wages, many IHSS workers are poised to leave the caregiving profession—making this critical service harder to access for those who need it.”
“We are the ones who help your loved ones live with dignity, comfort, and respect in the later years of their lives,” said Jackie Jordan, an IHSS worker in Lake County. “All we ask is to be paid a fair, livable wage so we can continue providing the care that every person deserves.”
“IHSS workers are pursuing jobs in other industries—or even other counties—to earn a wage that enables us to provide for ourselves and our families,” said Trinity County IHSS worker, Matthew Scrimiger. “As we lose our caregivers, our community members lose access to the vital care they need to live safe and healthy lives.”
This year, through the collective power of SEIU Local 2015 members, more than 313,000 home care workers across six counties, who provide care for approximately 376,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities, won higher wages with some exceeding $22 an hour. Yet far too many other caregivers continue to struggle on poverty wages, highlighting the urgent need for counties still in negotiations to deliver the respect and compensation workers deserve.
IHSS providers save taxpayers millions each year by keeping recipients out of costly institutional care. For every dollar invested in caregiver wages, 86 cents come from federal and state funding, making IHSS one of the smartest and most compassionate investments a county can make.
“When counties pay caregivers fairly, everyone benefits,” said Arnulfo De La Cruz, President of SEIU Local 2015. “It creates jobs, stabilizes care, and strengthens families. Investing in care is investing in California’s future.”
Despite their essential role, many IHSS providers—predominantly women and people of color—earn near minimum wage and lack basic benefits. Contract negotiations are currently underway in multiple counties where workers have gone years without a raise.
Today’s actions called on county supervisors to show that family values aren’t just words, they’re commitments. By ensuring caregivers are respected, protected, and paid fairly, counties can strengthen the foundation of care that every community relies on.To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.