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Around the Regions MASSACHUSETTS
Home care members in MA win path to $25/hr In a groundbreaking settlement, the 58,000 Personal Care Attendants (PCA) in Massachusetts who are paid directly by the state government to work in home care, have ratified a new three-year contract that creates a pathway to earning $25 per hour. "I grew up watching my mom care for seniors in their homes,
and I have a deep appreciation for the important work that Personal Care Attendants do," said Massachusetts Governor, Maura Healey. "Our administration is proud to reach this historic agreement that provides fair pay and benefits for PCAs that reflect the heroic contributions they make to Massachusetts families." The PCA workforce is
“I will be making $23/ hr by 2026, which will allow me to have peace of mind and help change the narrative about the value of home care.” – Janice Guzman
PCA members lobby in Boston to secure a strong contract.
comprised mostly of women and people of color. The contract centers equity and helps remove barriers to retention. Home care remains one of the fastest growing jobs in the country, but also one of the lowest paid. Other highlights of the contract include a new wage scale based on experience, retirement savings accounts, paid professional development opportunities, and a wage differential for workers who care for clients with complex healthcare needs. "For far too long, PCAs have been expected to do this job without adequate wages that allow us to care for ourselves and our families, which is reminiscent of how domestic work has been undervalued even as it makes all other work possible,” said Janice Guzman, a PCA from Worcester. “I will be making $23/hr by 2026, which will allow me to have peace of mind and help change the narrative about the value of home care.” PCAs provide high quality care for seniors and people with disabilities, ensuring that these individuals can live at home independently, safely and with dignity. Massachusetts is home to more than one million seniors and almost 500,000 adults living with a disability. Yet, a shortage of home care workers across the country has strained the industry and put lives at risk. This has united PCAs and those they care for to take action. PCA wages will have gone up by 131% through the end of this contract since forming a union with 1199 back in 2008.
NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
Union Help for Rite Aid Members As Rite Aid begins closing stores in New York City and New Jersey amid reports that it is planning to file for bankruptcy, 1199 has been holding regular meetings with members to help ease their path into new jobs in healthcare. 1199 Pharmacists who have been laid off by the drug store chain will be given priority for avail6
September-October 2023
able job openings in Union hospitals and clinics. Retail staff considering a career change can access programs run by the 1199SEIU Training and Education Fund. For more information about the fund’s workshops on job seeking strategies, resume writing, cover letters, and interviewing skills, click the QR code or call 844-833-1199.
“Because of 1199, we will keep all our wages and benefits at the same level. This is a big thing for me after 20 years.” – Michelle Salay, 1199 Delegate and MRI Technologist
NEW YORK
1199 Contract Ensures Employment amid Closures After 41 years at Eastern Niagara Hospital, 1199 RN Louise Williams is preparing to join the staff at the brand-new Lockport Memorial Hospital being built nearby and due to open in mid-October. Williams was born at Eastern Niagara–which closed in June after 115 years. Both her mother and aunt also worked there, too, so the move is bitter-
sweet for many reasons. “I will miss the old hospital,” says Williams, “But I am very grateful for my Union contract which will preserve my decades of seniority. Otherwise, I would have had to start at the bottom all over again." Michelle Salay, an 1199 Delegate and MRI Technologist who will also be moving from Eastern Niagara to Lockport, says, “Be-
cause of 1199, we will keep all our wages and benefits at the same level. This is a big thing for me after 20 years.” The new hospital will serve a community of 80,000 people. Management has agreed to employ all the Union employees from Eastern Niagara. “I don’t know what we’d have done without 1199SEIU,” adds Salay.
UPSTATE NEW YORK
Upstate 1199ers Celebrate Labor Day On September 4, members from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse came together in marches across New York State in honor of Labor Day. Percy Jackson, an 1199 Delegate in the Food and Nutrition Department at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, says the day means a lot to him because of his secure employment and healthcare. Strong Transport Assistant Charles Lentine, meanwhile, says Labor Day represents, “1199 and all the hard work our members put in every year.”
Rendering of the new Lockport Memorial Hospital located north of Buffalo, NY. 1199ers from Rochester, NY, march to celebrate Labor Day on September 4.
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