Queens, NY-Yesterday, homecare workers picketed in front of the Social Concern Community Development Corporation home care agency to demand action to prevent 500 homecare workers from losing their health coverage. The agency is delinquent in payments toward health benefits for its workers who received notice that their health benefits would terminate on March 26.
Since [date], the caregivers, who are members of the healthcare union 1199SEIU, have made numerous attempts to contact the agency but have received no response as to how the agency plans to begin to cover the delinquent payments and maintain coverage for the healthcare workers.
“I’ve worked at Social Concern for 34 years and want to be able to care for my clients. We work with sick people and run into all kinds of cases in our work. We can get sick ourselves. We won’t be able to take care of them if we aren’t well ourselves. We’re out here because Social Concern has to be held accountable for the health of its employees,” said Shirley Willacy, Home Health Aide.
The homecare workers, many of whom need medication to treat their own health conditions, are worried about their ability to pay for the care they need on their minimal salaries.
“I came out to picket to today because we’re going to lose our healthcare because Social Concern won’t pay the bill,” said Agnes Maitland, Home Health Aide. “We don’t make a lot of money. I only make $309 every two weeks. I have to take expensive medication for a thyroid problem and now they want us to work without healthcare? We can’t live on that.”
The homecare workers’ union is asking Social Concern to simply reach out to them to find a joint solution to maintain the caregiver’s health coverage.
“Social Concern’s lack of action is negligent. By undermining healthcare for caregivers, they have jeopardized homecare workers’ ability to continue to provide quality care for the elderly and people with disabilities they serve. We are ready and willing to do what we can to maintain our homecare workers’ coverage but the agency must communicate with us,” said Vivienne Williams, 1199SEIU organizer and former homecare worker.
Visit www.1199seiu.org/wherestheconcern for photos and more info.
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With over 400,000 members in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida and Washington D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the country. Our mission is to achieve quality healthcare and good jobs for all.
Since [date], the caregivers, who are members of the healthcare union 1199SEIU, have made numerous attempts to contact the agency but have received no response as to how the agency plans to begin to cover the delinquent payments and maintain coverage for the healthcare workers.
“I’ve worked at Social Concern for 34 years and want to be able to care for my clients. We work with sick people and run into all kinds of cases in our work. We can get sick ourselves. We won’t be able to take care of them if we aren’t well ourselves. We’re out here because Social Concern has to be held accountable for the health of its employees,” said Shirley Willacy, Home Health Aide.
The homecare workers, many of whom need medication to treat their own health conditions, are worried about their ability to pay for the care they need on their minimal salaries.
“I came out to picket to today because we’re going to lose our healthcare because Social Concern won’t pay the bill,” said Agnes Maitland, Home Health Aide. “We don’t make a lot of money. I only make $309 every two weeks. I have to take expensive medication for a thyroid problem and now they want us to work without healthcare? We can’t live on that.”
The homecare workers’ union is asking Social Concern to simply reach out to them to find a joint solution to maintain the caregiver’s health coverage.
“Social Concern’s lack of action is negligent. By undermining healthcare for caregivers, they have jeopardized homecare workers’ ability to continue to provide quality care for the elderly and people with disabilities they serve. We are ready and willing to do what we can to maintain our homecare workers’ coverage but the agency must communicate with us,” said Vivienne Williams, 1199SEIU organizer and former homecare worker.
Visit www.1199seiu.org/wherestheconcern for photos and more info.
#####
With over 400,000 members in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida and Washington D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the country. Our mission is to achieve quality healthcare and good jobs for all.
