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Siskiyou County IHSS workers press supervisors for higher pay and first union contract
Summary
County In-Home Supportive Services caregivers and a union representative urged Siskiyou County supervisors to raise wages and negotiate the county's first IHSS union contract, citing long drives, late payments, and risks to continuity of care; no board action is recorded in the provided transcript.
Siskiyou County caregivers and a union representative urged the Board of Supervisors to raise pay for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers and to negotiate the county’s first union contract, saying low wages and payment delays are threatening care for seniors and people with disabilities.
"I'm spending approximately $130 per week just on gas," said Paula, an IHSS worker who said she drives about 45 miles one way from Fort Jones to provide daily, full-time care to a friend in Mount Shasta. "Minimum wage is not enabling me to sustain my work."
Alice, an IHSS caregiver of six years, told the board her client — her partner — requires full-time care and "without an IHSS provider, they would die." She said IHSS pay and late payments leave workers reliant on food banks and housing assistance.
Retired physical therapist and former IHSS worker Neil Pawson urged supervisors to pay more and invest in training, saying low pay drives high turnover. "You get what you pay for," he said, describing the labor as physically and emotionally demanding.
Jessica, a union representative, said the county recently underwent a fact-finding hearing and accused county leaders of failing to bargain in good faith and of lacking transparency over social-services funding. She said the county receives funds through the "1991 realignment fund" and stated "roughly $4,000,000" is earmarked to support social services, arguing those dollars could be used to stabilize pay for IHSS workers.
Speakers asked the board to approve a contract that would raise wages and provide training and stability for caregivers in the county. Jessica urged immediate action, saying, "We want our first contract and we want it now."
The comments in the transcript were delivered during the board’s public comment period; the provided recording contains no formal motion, vote, or staff response to the requests within the captured segments. The board had convened the meeting as the IHSS Public Authority and conducted roll call before opening public comment.
