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Clients and caregivers urge county action after contract cancellations and stalled IHSS talks
Summary
Multiple speakers at the board meeting urged supervisors to restore contracts for Holiday Helping Hands (HHH) and to reach a fair IHSS contract for home‑care providers. HHH clients and staff said June cancellations would close beds and displace people; IHSS workers told the board they have been without a new contract since January.
Speakers at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting urged the county to act to avert service disruptions after contractors and unionized care workers raised separate but related contract concerns during public comment.
Holiday Helping Hands - Several current and former residents and staff from Holiday Helping Hands (HHH), a nonprofit service provider, told supervisors that on June 18 they were informed that HHH’s JKOD contracts would be canceled “without due process,” leaving 116 beds and roughly 50 staff at risk. Dr. Katina Holiday, CEO of Holiday Helping Hands, said the cancellations were announced without the opportunity to respond to allegations and appealed to the board for fairness and to reinstate contracts so clients are not displaced. - HHH clients and employees described the program as a life‑stabilizing resource that provides housing, meals and services; multiple speakers said losing the sites would cause harm to residents who had secured work, sobriety and housing through HHH programs.
IHSS caregivers (SEIU 2015) - A large group of home‑care providers affiliated with SEIU 2015 addressed the board under the closed‑session labor item (CS 4) and during general public comment. Speakers described working without a contract since January 1, 2025; they said many caregivers juggle multiple jobs and struggle to pay housing costs. - Several speakers gave numbers that were repeated during public testimony: for example, one speaker said that for every $1 in wages earned by IHSS providers, the county contributes roughly $0.17. Caregivers urged a negotiated contract that would raise wages and stabilize the workforce to meet demand from growing numbers of older adults and people with disabilities.
Board process and closed session - The board heard extensive public testimony on both issues. Item CS 4 (conference with labor negotiators) was listed on the agenda; the clerk reported that no reportable action was taken in closed session. The public record includes repeated requests that the CEO’s office and negotiators prioritize caregiver contract settlement and address the HHH contract cancellations with urgency.
What the public requested and next steps - Holiday Helping Hands asked the board to reinstate canceled contracts or provide due‑process review and to consider the downstream consequences of site closures for vulnerable clients. - IHSS caregivers requested that the board prioritize a fair and timely contract settlement, pointing to the workforce shortage and the caregiving needs of county residents.
Implementation note: CS 4 was a closed negotiation item and the clerk reported no reportable action when the board returned to session. Supervisors and staff regularly engage in labor negotiations and contract reviews; public commenters asked for quicker, transparent progress.
