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Caregivers tell Solano supervisors low pay is driving a care crisis, urge wage increases
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Summary
Multiple IHSS providers and SEIU representatives told the Solano County Board of Supervisors that low wages are creating caregiver shortages and harming clients, and urged the county to negotiate a pay increase that narrows a claimed gap with neighboring counties.
Several caregivers and union representatives urged Solano County supervisors on April 28 to increase pay for In‑Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers, saying current proposals fall short of inflation and risk service reductions for elderly and disabled residents.
Leticia Guerrero, speaking for the IHSS bargaining unit, told the board: "Stop leading with fear and start leading with value." Guerrero criticized a proposed 55‑cent increase as inadequate, said neighboring counties are offering higher wages and asked the county to propose a raise that would bridge roughly a 3% gap with surrounding jurisdictions.
Elizabeth Cruz, an IHSS provider and member of the bargaining team, described personal hardship from low wages and argued the county must act to prevent missed medications, missed meals and institutionalization of vulnerable residents. "I am a single mother with three kids... I struggle to survive every month," she said, adding that more than 4,000 providers deliver services locally.
Carl Vincent, an SEIU Local 2015 associate member and former caregiver, warned supervisors that the county is already in a "care crisis" and called for a stronger bargaining position after negotiations that began in September 2025.
Board members did not respond with a decision during the public comment period; the board later announced that labor negotiations would be handled in closed session under Government Code §54957.6. No wage adjustments were adopted on the public record at the April 28 meeting.
Next steps: labor negotiations on IHSS remain a closed‑session matter; the board and staff may return to the public record with proposals or fiscal analyses in future meetings.
