Scores of 1199SEIU homecare members held a September 28 lunch-hour picket outside the Manhattan offices of the First Chinese Presbyterian Home Attendant Corporation.

The informational picketing was held to publicize FCPHAC’s refusal to pay the home attendant’s their sick pay, vacation and holiday pay that has been withheld since January 1 of this year. Some 1,400 members are affected.

Although a large percentage of the agency workers are of Chinese ancestry, the 1,400 represent many different nationalities and ethnic groups. They chanted for justice while they picketed and many sang “Solidarity Forever” in Chinese.

“Enough is enough,” said Carol Francis, an FCPHAC home attendant. “I want to know when will we get our money and benefits. It has been nine months. I don’t have money to pay the rent or buy food for my family. We need our contract signed so that we can get our back pay.”

A representative of New York City councilwoman Margaret Chin visited the pickets and urged FCPHAC to work with 1199SEIU to sign the contract and provide the members with their hard-earned back pay and benefits.