IHSS caregivers press Yolo County supervisors for contract, living wages during public comment

Speakers at the Yolo County Board of Supervisors meeting on April 29 used the board’s public-comment period to press county leaders to finish stalled contract talks and raise wages for in-home caregivers.

The speakers said the county contract for In‑Home Supportive Services (IHSS) has been expired for more than a year and caregivers are struggling to keep up with rent and other living costs. Steven Payan, who said he is a caregiver and a single parent, told the board the caregiver workforce “saves the county millions by keeping people out of expensive living facilities” and represented roughly 3,000 members. “We want to continue to work with y’all so we can work towards a living wage,” Payan said.

Union representatives urged the board to treat IHSS as a budget priority. Leticia Guerrero, who said she works with caregivers and providers in Yolo County and was at the bargaining table, asked supervisors to review the caregivers’ latest proposal seriously and close the contract. “Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, and these wages are not competitive enough to keep workers in the industry,” Guerrero said. She warned that caregivers were leaving for higher-paying entry-level jobs such as fast food.

Long‑term‑care provider and SEIU member Lorna Schroeder framed the dispute as a broader labor and equity issue, saying that care work historically performed by women and women of color has been undervalued. “They’re doing a job that many others don’t want to do. So we hope that you will respect them for the essential work that they do provide for this county and pay them a livable wage,” she said.

Board members did not take immediate action on the contract during the public‑comment period. Supervisors thanked the speakers for their testimony and moved on to the agenda. The county’s staff and negotiators were referenced by speakers as parties to ongoing bargaining, but no new timeline or specific board direction on the pending contract was recorded during the meeting.

The caregivers’ appeals put pressure on supervisors as they simultaneously grappled with a countywide budget shortfall discussed later in the same meeting. Caregivers and their supporters argued that investing in home‑based care is a cost‑saving strategy for the county and urged supervisors to prioritize contract settlement in upcoming budget decisions.

Looking ahead, the transcript shows speakers asking the board to consider the caregivers’ most recent proposals and work with county staff to finish negotiations. There was no recorded vote or motion tied to the public comments; any change to wages or contract terms would require further action by the board or County staff.