Caregivers urge county to raise IHSS wages during public comment; SEIU and allied unions press for living wages

Dozens of in‑home caregivers, union representatives and allied labor groups urged the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to press county negotiators for a stronger contract for IHSS providers, telling the Board that the current pay rate leaves many providers and the families they serve at financial risk.

Public commenters included long‑time IHSS providers and leaders from SEIU Local 2015 and several allied unions. Several speakers described multiple-job households, full‑time caregiving at low hourly pay and the consequences for clients if caregivers leave the program. SEIU leaders said 78% of county IHSS providers work multiple jobs and that roughly 36,000 providers in the system deserve a living wage.

Marvin Harrell, a retiree who spoke in support of union workers, noted the Valley's high housing costs. IHSS providers Tanya York and Araceli Avila described caregiving duties — administering injections, meals and appointments — and said $20.04 an hour is insufficient. Veronica Saldivar described being the sole caregiver for her 15‑year‑old autistic son and warned that inadequate pay leads to worse long‑term costs when people are hospitalized or placed in higher‑cost care settings.

Union leaders and allied organizations were prominent in the block of public comment. Kim Yvonne, executive vice president of SEIU 2015, said $20 an hour is not a living wage and cited a data point in the public record: 3,000,000 approved care hours went unused last year in the county because people could not find caregivers. Jack McGovern of the South Bay Labor Council and Michael Hickey of the San Jose Teachers Association spoke in solidarity with the caregivers. Speakers urged the Board to negotiate “with dignity” and to approve contract terms that retain and recruit workers for an expanding need as the county ages.

Speakers linked caregiver pay to wider fiscal arguments: supporters said preventing unnecessary hospitalizations by ensuring adequate home care saves public money over time. The group also tied caregiver wages to broader housing and wage pressures in the county.

Board members did not vote on the contracts at Tuesday’s meeting. The public comment block served as an appeal to supervisors to press negotiators and to consider budget or policy changes. Supervisors acknowledged receipt of the comments and said they would factor employer and county budget constraints into upcoming contract negotiations and staffing decisions. SEIU and allied unions said they would continue mobilizing and meeting with county negotiators.