Home Care Members Win Permanent
Wage Increase
Lawmakers in New York hear our demands. 1199SEIU home care members and their community allies across New York State were celebrating a victory in early April when Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced that provision for a permanent pay increase would be included in the state budget. Extra cash was also allocated to give financially insecure safety net hospitals the underpinning they need to look after the state most vulnerable citizens. For frontline home care members in New York, winning a $3/hr increase over minimum wage will not only have a significant impact on their lives, but it also lays the groundwork for similar political campaigns in other states. By October 2023, NY home care workers will see their pay increase by more than $500 a month on a 40hour week. On hearing that Governor Hochul had responded to members demands made in their Fair Pay for Home Care campaign, Novelette Cross-Smith, 1199SEIU homecare 6
March/April 2022
Members join community activists for a March 29, press conferences in Albany to demand fair pay for homecare. Home Care members keep up the pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul. Opposite page: Members form a heart outside the Capitol Building to urge lawmakers to “Have a Heart for Home Care” on February 14.
“ We take so much pride in our jobs and know our importance in our clients’ lives; we are thankful to finally be getting the recognition that our line of work is essential and deserving of decent compensation.” – Novelette Cross-Smith 1199SEIU home care worker with People Care Homecare in Manhattan, NY
worker with 22 years of service at People Care in Manhattan, NY, said: “Today marks the start of a new chapter for homecare workers like me, and I am thrilled to be receiving a raise that will allow me to better support my family. We take so much pride in our jobs and know our importance in our clients’ lives; we are thankful to finally be getting the recognition that our line of work is essential and deserving of decent compensation.”
Home care workers from all over NYS boarded buses to Albany throughout the budget debate to press their case. In most instances, that meant travelling for at least five hours round trip, often in freezing weather. They joined allies from the disability community and advocates for senior citizens, who understand that reliable home care services depend on fair 1199 Magazine
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