Wages increase by $0.45 an hour, negotiations to resume next year
Lakeport, CA – The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a new one-year union contract with In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers. IHSS providers are members of SEIU Local 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union, representing more than half a million workers across California.
The contract delivers a $0.45 per hour increase to the IHSS wage supplement, raising wages to $18.00 an hour. Workers secured this immediate raise through a short-term agreement, while preserving the ability to return to the bargaining table next year as the county’s budget outlook becomes clearer. While the increase signifies important progress, wages still fall short of the MIT Living Wage Calculator threshold of $24.73 an hour for a single individual with no children in Lake County.
IHSS is a social service that allows people who need long-term care to receive it in the comfort and safety of their own homes. In Lake County, around 2,400 IHSS workers provide essential long-term care—including paramedical, personal care and household services—to older adults and people with disabilities.
Many Lake County IHSS workers struggle to make ends meet: 65 percent have difficulty paying rent or mortgage payments on time, more than half rely on CalFresh or food banks each month, and 90 percent sometimes or always skip regular car maintenance because it’s too expensive.
“I’m happy that we were able to come to an agreement with Lake County that includes wage increases, but I’m hoping the Board will bargain in a more positive way next year,” said Vicki Osborne, Lake County care worker and bargaining team member. “Our members are essential care workers and they’re fighting for what they deserve.”
In 2024, Lake County residents went without nearly 385,000 hours of approved care because there were not enough providers. That means many seniors and people with disabilities did not receive the help they needed.
As the population ages and demand for care continues to grow, strong union contracts for long-term care workers help attract and retain providers. One in five California caregivers say they may leave the industry due to low wages and poor benefits, which will exacerbate the care crisis.
“This one-year contract will help IHSS workers in Lake provide for themselves and their families, but we have a long way to go,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Kim Evon. “When our members return to the bargaining table next year, they will keep working to ensure Lake can have a more just and equitable future of care where every person in the county can access the long-term care they need.”
SEIU Local 2015 negotiates with county Boards of Supervisors, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, and private home care agencies across California to secure union contracts, improve wages, benefits and working conditions, and empower workers with a voice in the care they provide.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.