Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Ihss topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
IHSS caregivers urge Kings County supervisors to restart meaningful bargaining for higher pay
Summary
Three IHSS providers and SEIU representatives told the Kings County Board of Supervisors that caregivers need higher wages and affordable benefits to retain staff who help seniors and people with disabilities stay safely at home.
Veronica Ramos, an IHSS provider and member of SEIU Local 2015, told the board that caregivers came to bargaining expecting progress but found "no meaningful movement." She said caregivers help seniors and residents with disabilities remain safely at home and called on the board to "encourage meaningful negotiations and to invest in caregivers who make the IHSS program possible."
Destiny Nava and Julio Godinez, both IHSS providers and members of the SEIU bargaining team, echoed those concerns. Nava described rising living costs and said it is increasingly difficult for providers to cover essentials; Godinez said higher wages and affordable health care reduce turnover and improve continuity of care. Godinez added, "Caregiving is more than a job. It's a calling," and urged supervisors to support meaningful wage increases and benefits.
Board members did not take immediate action during the unscheduled public comment period. Staff and union representatives previously held bargaining sessions with the county; speakers asked the board to press county negotiators to return to talks with concrete proposals. The comments were entered into the public record and referred to appropriate staff for follow up.
