Caregivers Attend 1199SEIU Community Forum in Worcester for $15/hr and Fair Contracts

April 16, 2015

A recent community forum hosted by 1199SEIU members drew over 100 healthcare workers, advocates, and elected leaders to the Rock of Salvation Church in Worcester, MA. Topics at the forum included key 1199SEIU legislative priorities, upcoming labor negotiations, wage inequality, and the emerging Fight for $15 movement. The Worcester forum was part of a series of events hosted around the state by 1199SEIU members in March.

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.

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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.

Juana Reyes, a personal care attendant, said, “We are Fighting this Fight for $15. It's so important that we have a good wage, even $15, so that we can live. And also, as we are in this process for a new contract for PCAs, as we start to bargain in April, it is so important for people to remember that when we started bargaining a few years ago, we had a wage of $10.84 in 2006.. But what happened? Together, we united, and since then, we have been able to get a 23% raise. This implies that we will not stop until we are able to put bread on the table for ourselves and our families.”

Elia Lopez, a personal care attendant, said “I love my job, because from at my job, I can help fulfill the needs of my consumer. She is a woman with special needs. I feel fulfilled because I can fulfill her necessities. But as PCAs, we treat our consumers with dignity. But we also deserve dignity and respect through a fair wage.”

Tommy Kegbeh, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Blaire House of Worcester, addressed the crowd. "My brothers and sisters, we have to fight for our rights. What are we here for? Fight for $15! The residents we are taking care of, one person is taking care of ten, even eleven residents. These people depend on us for their daily needs, and we make sure they are comfortable. I have my family, and a house. I pay a mortgage. But I console myself with the fact that I get to take care of these residents. They depend on us. Today, I tell you, we need to stand up and fight for our rights and fight together. I brought these sticks with me. One stick will break, right? But when we join together, like all of these sticks, we cannot break. This is why we need to stick together."

Cindy Purcell, a personal care attendant consumer, said “At age 18, I was in a car accident in 1977. I was paralyzed. Truly, I cannot tell you the value of PCAs. I wouldn't have a life without PCAs, and the wage has got to go up. PCAs come seven days a week. They shower me, and they dress me. Because of the PCA program, I've been working 33 years full time. I have a house, I pay taxes. I have a son. I have a life now because of the PCA program. Without it , I could not make it on my own."

Mayor Petty of Worcester said, “The truth of the matter is, who lives in Worcester, and who has more than one job to stay above the water. It's important that we have good wages so folks can pay for their families and have good benefits. “

Senator Chandler supported the Fight for $15, and said “You need a good contract and you need it now. We are seeing strange things happen in nursing homes. I'm upset because I saw in the Boston Globe today that a law I passed last year is not being ...there's no regulations. That's the law that states that if a nursing home is going to be bought or sold, there has to be a public hearing. Did you read the paper today? There haven't been any public hearings! I think there have been nine nursing homes that have close in a short period of time. We can't afford to have nine nursing homes close. We have to keep them open and we have to make sure that people who need skilled care get skilled care. Which means that we need to make sure you have jobs, and that you can keep jobs, and that you can work up to your abilities right now."

The forum comes as a new report from the National Employment Law Project highlights how widespread poverty among home care 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.