Home Care Workers March for a Living Wage

Home Care Workers March for a Living Wage
By Mike Rhodes
November 23, 2004

Homecare workers and their allies marched today in Madera for something every hard working person deserves - a living wage and health benefits. Margarita Adame worked at the IRS in Fresno until her mother became sick and needed full time help. Leaving her full time job that paid $11 an hour and included health benefits was not easy, but Adame’s mother needed care. Adame says she now makes $6.75 an hour, which is exactly what her starting salary was at the IRS 15 years ago. To make matters worse, "I only get paid for 4 or 5 hours a day, even though this is a 24 hour/7 day a week job," Adame said. That is why home care workers were marching today - they want a living wage and health care benefits for the over 1,000 home care workers who are members of SEIU Local 250.

Madera home care workers voted to join the union in March of 2003 and have been negotiating with the county ever since. They are angry that the Madera County Board of Supervisors voted themselves a raise this year while refusing to increase the wages and benefits of home care workers. Adame says that the workers are asking for $8.50 an hour with benefits and that the county has countered with a $ .25 an hour raise with no benefits.

"How am I supposed to take care of myself when I am sick," Adame asked. She says that she has not seen a doctor since 1998 and she "prays to God to keep me strong."

Today’s march started at the Madera County Social Services department and headed downtown on Yosemite street. The workers sang and chanted as they headed for the Board of Supervisors chambers. "We are the union, the mighty, mighty union - Everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them, We are the union, the mighty, mighty union." Chanting in both English and Spanish the workers shouted out "The people united, will never be defeated."

When the march arrived at the Madera County Government Center they held a rally. Three home care workers, who are on the union negotiating team, gave a report on the progress being made at the table with the county. According to Adame, "they tell us that they understand what we are going though." She adds that "the Supervisors just got a big salary increase and now earn $58,000 a year." Adame says she is not sure that the Supervisors really understand the home care workers situation.

Other speakers at the rally included Randy Ghan, Secretary Treasurer of the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council. Ghan said that the 60,000 union workers in the Valley support the home care workers struggle for a living wage and understand the value of the work they do. Several speakers from the Madera Democratic Party told the crowd of their support for organized labor. Retired teacher Ray Ensher said that "Madera County Supervisors should be ashamed of themselves for taking a salary increase without taking care of home care workers first."

The home care workers and their allies then filled the Board of Supervisors chambers and demanded the county bargain in good faith. Testimony was presented by several home care workers calling on the Supervisors to find the money to pay a living wage and provide health care benefits for those who provide health care to others. Adame was not optimistic that today’s march and rally had changed a majority of Supervisors to support home care workers on this issue. "We are going to have to keep fighting and keep up the pressure so we can get a good contract," Adame said.