Caregivers attend 1199SEIU Community Forum in Lawrence for $15/hour and Fair Contracts

April 1, 2015

A recent community forum hosted by 1199SEIU members drew over 120 healthcare workers, advocates, and elected leaders to the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, MA. Topics at the forum included key 1199SEIU legislative priorities, upcoming labor negotiations, wage inequality, and the emerging Fight for $15 movement. The Lawrence forum was part of a series of events hosted around the state by 1199SEIU members this month as union members and allies ramp up for a major statewide mobilization to protest wage inequality on Tuesday, April 14, 2015.

Healthcare workers spoke about the prevalence of poverty wages in area hospitals, nursing homes, and home care programs, while also calling for investments in healthcare and homecare services and jobs.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS OF THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK!

Meanwhile, nursing home workers at more than two dozen facilities in Massachusetts will be seeking progress towards a living wage of $15/hour as they negotiate new labor contracts with their employers this year.

Robert Thompson, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Country Rehab, said,” The most frustrating thing about this industry is the revolving door syndrome. People like myself make $11.50 an hour and after a couple of weeks end up saying ‘I can't do this.’ So we're always short staffed. We're on a floor with 30-35 patients, There's 11 people who need complete care, and there's only two of us to care for all of them. We're just doing our best — what we can do. It's constant. People like myself are pushing for $15 an hour, but I will continue to do what I love to do.”

Paula Callanan, a Personal Care Attendant consumer, spoke at the forum about the quality of life she has because of her PCA, “We need quality PCAs that have a wage they can live on."

Islandia Aquino, a PCA in Lawrence, said, “I am a PCA for my mother. It's was very difficult for me to take care of my mother and support my family, until I found out about the PCA program, which saved my life. I am also a CNA, and used to work in a nursing home. It used to break my heart when people asked me to take them home, to see their families. This work is a blessing to me. We need to unite to see that the elderly are comfortable, and happy in their own homes in their final days. I am happy to see so many of my brothers and sisters here, ready to fight for a higher living wage so we can support our families."

Nanette Goodwin, a Personal Care Attendant consumer said, "PCAs are incredibly important, not only to me, but the other 1200 people depending on them in the Northeast Independent Living Program. That is why I am here today to support the Fight for $15 movement. Without my PCA, I wouldn't be able to live independently or go to work. I need a little bit of help. We all need to make a living to meet our financial obligations, and so do our PCAs. If we don't fight for our PCAs for the dignity that we deserve, we will lose the PCAs."

Mary Rose Borelli, a pharmacy tech at Holy Family Hospital, a part of the Steward System, says that she and her colleagues who are making a living wage support their fellow healthcare workers in their upcoming contract fights. “I am fortunate to have higher wages, better healthcare, and access to education, which in my department, that people who could not previously afford to further their education, now can. We're proud of our union, but there's more to be done. While we strive to give our community the best care possible. It's a challenge every day to meet our goals. The Medicare funding has been steadily decreasing. Unlike some hospitals in Boston that have large endowments, we have to rely on the state to pay for ours. I'm asking our legislators tonight to please support our community hospitals in the budget process. Also, there are many workers that aren't paid enough for the work and care they provide. A $15 an hour wage would help ensure them a living wage and help their families to rise up out of poverty. But like Robert said, that isn't enough. It should be more like $20 an hour.”

Jenny Rodriguez, a home care agency worker, said, "I work for Century Home care, and am a single mother. I make $10 an hour as a home care worker. We have to be united in this struggle for $15 because we cannot do it any other way. We want a better quality of life for ourselves and our families.

Healthcare workers say they are uniting their struggles beginning with this evening’s forum as they ramp up for a series of mobilizations and demonstrations this year.

Carlita Suarez, a PCA in Lawrence, said, "We have a huge action on April 14. We have to win $15. That means we need to be on the streets. We deserve it because we do dignified work. We are united because this is something we should be able to achieve in this day and age. On April 14, we will be part of a nationwide movement. We will unite for ourselves and our families.”

Healthcare, homecare, and nursing home workers alike are uniting on Tuesday, April 14, when they will rally and march in Boston. The event will be the first in a national wave of actions to support the Fight for $15 and workers’ rights.

The forum comes as a new report from the National Employment Law Project highlights how widespread poverty among homecare workers is undermining care. While revenue in the home care industry has soared 48 percent over the past decade, average hourly wages for workers has declined by almost 6 percent during that period, according to the report.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera supports the Fight for $15 (left).

Read coverage from the Eagle Tribune about the community forum in Lawrence.