MEMBER ACTIVISM AVERTS NY HEALTHCARE CRISIS
June 16, 2023
Sustained pressure finally forced Governor Hochul to reverse some of her planned cuts.
In the end, 1199ers won higher wages for home care, as well as policy changes that will even the playing field with nonunion providers and regulate staffing agencies.
Instead of being capped at $18, the home care minimum wage will grow to $19.65 downstate and $18.65 upstate over the next two years—and then be indexed to inflation. Medicaid funding for health care benefits will be dedicated to those employers who actually pro- vide benefits. This means that 1199 employers will be able to offer more competitive wages while still maintaining the Union benefit package.
“I am very proud that we stuck together and made sure that the state recognized our value, so we could get what we deserve,” said Bianca Graniela, a home care member with the Bestcare agency. “I am a hospice aide which means that I am that face, that hand touch, that you see before you draw your last breath. It often feels like our elected officials don’t recognize who we re- ally are. I have looked after doctors, lawyers and even a judge once. I appreciate the fact that the noise we made in Albany seems to have been heard this time.”
In another victory, temporary healthcare staffing agencies will be regulated for the first time, allowing the state to collect key ownership and financial information. This will provide the tools to rein in the “Uberization” of nursing. There is also $120 million in new funding for behavioral health services and $850 million in new capital funds, mostly for supportive housing.
Another member warned Governor Hochul that staffing levels in nursing homes were well below what they need to be. Mary Samaroo-Ali, and LPN at Queens Nassau Nursing Home, said: “We need to find a way of closing the Medicaid Gap once and for all.”
1199 Magazine: May / June 2023