New contract puts IHSS workers—mostly women of color—on path to earn more than $20 an hour
San Joaquin County, CA – Today, the San Joaquin Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a new three-year union contract with In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers, successfully concluding negotiations. 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 includes:
- A $1.57 increase to the IHSS wage supplement, bringing wages to $18.57 an hour by August 2025 and creating a path to $20.07 by January 2028 (includes anticipated California minimum wage increases);
- Additional contributions to medical benefits that will prevent increases to monthly premiums and increase workers’ access to health insurance;
- Up to $12,000 annually for essential safety equipment, like gloves, masks and disinfectant wipes;
- $9,000 annually for caregiver training, like CPR and first aid.
IHSS is a social service that allows people who need long-term care to receive it in the comfort & safety of their own homes. In San Joaquin County, more than 9,300 IHSS workers provide essential long-term care—including paramedical, personal care and household services—to more than 10,800 older adults and people with disabilities.
The terms of the new contract will benefit San Joaquin’s local economy. Higher wages for IHSS workers will:
- Bring in $553 million from State and Federal funding sources;
- Support the creation of 390 new jobs in San Joaquin;
- Generate $65 million in local economic output through IHSS worker spending.
“With these wage increases, I can cut back on my second job and shift my focus back to my caregiving work. I’ll be able to more easily afford the rising costs of rent, gas and PG&E,” said Paul Henderson Sr., a San Joaquin home care worker and SEIU Local 2015 bargaining team member. “Negotiating our union contract was taxing, but my union siblings and I persevered. This agreement is a victory for San Joaquin home care workers.”
“I’m grateful for our collaboration with the county to reach an agreement that’s going to put more money in IHSS workers’ pockets and help protect our access to affordable healthcare,” said San Joaquin home care worker and SEIU Local 2015 bargaining team member, Vicky Escalante.
“Our members and County Supervisors worked together to secure this union contract, which will help IHSS workers provide for themselves and their families,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Kim Evon. “Their collective effort put San Joaquin on a path toward 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. These improvements help strengthen the long-term care workforce and increase access to essential care for all who need it.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.