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IHSS providers tell supervisors pay must rise; workers describe hardship in public comment
Summary
Multiple in‑person public commenters who are IHSS (In‑Home Supportive Services) providers told the Board of Supervisors that current wages are insufficient to meet living costs and asked the county to negotiate a livable wage for home‑care workers.
Several IHSS home‑care providers and union representatives used the public‑comment period to urge the Board to secure a higher wage for home‑care workers and recipients. Speakers described taking multiple jobs, struggling with the cost of living and the impracticality of supervising clients who require 24‑hour care on modest pay.
Speakers — some identifying as SEIU 2015 members and family caregivers — said many IHSS providers care for relatives and do not have the ability to take outside jobs. They called the county’s current offer insufficient, and several asked the board to support a living wage that reflects the local cost of living. One commenter said the living wage for a single parent with one child in the county is nearer $64 an hour, comparing that to the county’s current offer of around $20 an hour.
Several speakers were permitted two minutes each; they pressed for contract language that protects clients and workers, and for county leadership to negotiate aggressively with service partners. Supervisors acknowledged comments and directed staff to accept written submissions for the record.
