Dozens of home‑care providers and union leaders addressed the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12, urging the county to finalize a contract for in‑home supportive services (IHSS) workers represented by SEIU Local 2015. Speakers said caregivers are essential to keeping seniors and people with disabilities safely at home and described financial hardship while contract talks continue.

Union leaders and members—both on telephone lines and in the boardroom—called for immediate action. Mark Ramos, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1428 and chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, told the board: “It is time to invest in the health care of our community and the workers who provide that care.” Arnulfo De La Cruz, president of SEIU Local 2015, said the union has proposed redirecting an estimated $420,000,000 in excess health care spending over three years toward caregiver wages and asked supervisors for leadership before the board’s scheduled recess.

Multiple home‑care providers described low pay and hardship. “We are tired of being sidelined and told that the county simply does not have the budget to invest in us,” Rafi Bezjan, an SEIU 2015 provider, told the board. Maria Cibrian, another caregiver, said: “We barely make it to the end of the month. Every single day that we don't get a contract, our lives are harder.”

Supervisors acknowledged the urgency and said discussions between the CEO’s office and the union continue. CEO Fisha Davenport told the board that county negotiations remain active and that staff are evaluating whether funding will be available when the county finalizes the budget; she said the county asked SEIU for an updated proposal. Supervisors said conversations continue in closed‑session labor briefings but gave no commitment to a specific contract outcome during the meeting.

Why it matters: IHSS caregivers provide critical services that allow thousands of county residents to remain in community settings rather than institutional care; changes in compensation, contract terms or available workforce can directly affect public safety, county long‑term costs and the wellbeing of care recipients.

What’s next: County staff said labor talks will continue while the county refines its fiscal outlook. No binding action on compensation was adopted at the meeting; unions said they would continue public advocacy during the board’s upcoming recess.