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* SEIU Healthcare is demanding higher wages and a “path to retirement” for 45,000 home and child care workers. That’s a whole lot of people. Press release excerpt…
As Illinois faces a care crisis where families can’t access affordable care and workers can’t afford to save for retirement, 45,000 Illinois home and child care workers are escalating their campaign to publicly demand a strong contract with a path to retirement and livable wages.
Care workers are sending their most direct message to Governor Pritzker yet with a package of new TV, digital and newspaper ads pushing for Pritzker to settle a fair contract.
While the frontline care providers are appreciative of the Governor’s ongoing leadership advocating for IL working families, they are calling upon him to take immediate action to solve Illinois’ care crisis.
Yesterday, Chicagoans opened up their Sunday Chicago Tribune to see a full page ad blaring, “GOVERNOR PRITZKER, ILLINOIS HAS A CARE CRISIS,” and directly calling on the governor to settle a fair contract with caregivers who “have waited long enough for a path to retirement and livable wages.”
The print appeal hit newspaper stands as an emotional TV ad hit screens in Chicago and Springfield highlighting a care worker’s direct-to-camera appeal for a realistic pathway to retirement:
* The TV ad…
* Script…
Sheryl, Care Worker: I take care of people that have devastating needs. I’m 71 year’s old and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to afford to retire.
We live from paycheck to paycheck, we have to rely on credit cards and worry about going bankrupt. Governor Pritzker, we waited long enough. We need a path to retirement now.
We’re there to help people, but who’s helping us?
* The Question: Your thoughts on the merits of this campaign?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 1:41 pm
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Well-composed spot; makes the problem clear and the emotions are real. I think no one program or policy is going to handle this need; it’s got to be a web of different solutions overlapping. Adjustments to the social security payments seem appropriate to me, along with Medicaid eligibility, LIHEAP assistance, etc. Unless we want to establish a dedicated retirement fund for the home healthcare workers.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 1:56 pm
These are some of the most difficult and important jobs that exist and yet are among the lowest paid. I absolutely agree with the merits of this campaign and I hope they are successful.
Comment by Excitable Boy Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 2:00 pm
The low pay and lack of benefits for these workers has impacts throughout our system; finding support workers for my disabled child is always a nightmare because there aren’t nearly enough of them, because it doesn’t pay enough and the work is so precarious. Which means I have a lot more last-minute absences at work than I otherwise would, which hurts everyone whose work relies on mine. Whatever you do in your daily life, some of it relies on people and families who rely on these workers. Helping them helps us all.
Comment by Suburban Mom Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 2:11 pm
How much we pay shows how much we care…sadly.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 2:24 pm
They will be making 17.25 an hour. I have son in brain injured waiver that uses home care workers. The State in order to give this raise cut the maximum hours allowed for the most serious disabled. Those who work under the senior waiver are only homemakers/ they don’t do any major personal care. Right now I watch two SEIU home care workers who do laundry. They take laundry from an apartment and while it washes and dry they sit and are on their phones. This is not the horrible overwhelming work they say it is. Wages have gone from 10.50 to 17.35. SEIU doesn’t care that no real additional skill training or knowledge was required. Yes SEIU did additional training that was a joke. Did SEIU care that their raises actual decrease community services for the most disabled and that manage care is enforcing those limits. The truly serious disabled can’t organize-don’t have money from dues to organize and do advertising and lobbying for more money. SEIU is hypocritical and readily presents a false image of what care and the job is like. Before I get responses to this know I have dealt with a seriously disabled adult child for the last 23 years and I have managed housing and services for almost half a century for the seriously disabled. SEIU does not care about the individuals that home care workers care. If you haven’t in your life in some way had to deal with this, you may not know what it is really like. Those of you who supported the last round of raises also supported cutting funding for the most seriously disabled trying to live in the community.
Comment by Almost retired Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 2:34 pm
I don’t know. Everyone should have a retirement, but at the same time your retirement is a result of choices you make in terms of employer, career, etc.
Before I could form an opinion, I would have to have some facts.
1) Are the healthcare workers employees or considered independent contractors?
2) Are contributions being made to SS? Who is paying, the employer, the employee, or both?
3) Is there some kind of deferred compensation plan like a 401K / 457 the employee can optionally pay in to? Is there an employer match or contribution?
Do some employers, and not others, provide a retirement savings plan of some kind? a
Comment by RNUG Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:04 pm
RNUG is asking a lot of the right questions.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:10 pm
1) they’re state employees for purposes ofwages and benefits, but they’re not included in the state employee pension system
2) yes, both, just like most other employees
3) there is no current deferred comp
And there is only one employer (the state).
Comment by SaulGoodman Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:11 pm
Another reason to seriously discuss a Universal Basic Income. Hundreds of Billions spent on hundreds of federal and state programs that could be eliminated. Difficult discussion but one of these days we will see the wisdom.
Comment by don the legend Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:21 pm
I feel terrible for Almost retired after reading the comments. It was an eye-opener for someone who lives it. Thank you and I hope it gets better for you.
Comment by Tom Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:27 pm
The lack of pay for caseworkers is the crux of the crisis we are in for elder care, disability care, skilled nursing, and rehab care.
While it’s true that some people are not great at their jobs, and are on their cell phones, that’s the result of not valuing, training, and paying people. MOST of this profession works tirelessly in the most physically and mentally exhausting work we have. And it is the most important work we have — it requires immense skill. We need caregiver to care for vulnerable people who depend on them.
All families at some point will need this help.
The way a family copes with a severe accident, disability, disease or old age is fully dependent on the type of care help they can get. If there is good care, it is possible to spend quality time with a family member and feel like you did your best. Without it, the family spends sleepless nights, loses work and income, and is forever tormented by the failure of the system. It leads to immense crushing pain and PTSD to see someone with dementia or disability suffer in these places. This system is so broken.
Let’s start by valuing the job we are asking people to do — and the people who do it.
Comment by state worker Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:31 pm
@RNUG
You ask good questions. These are the workers that are paid out of the Medicaid home based waivers. It is a strange situation. The individual who qualified for thirds home care services employs the worker but the State pays the home based workers. If a worker works 30 hours a week they have access to decent health care. If they don’t work that much many qualify for Medicaid or Obama care. A person who needs the services can choose to hire a home health agency but the agency is paid at higher rate and agency pays worker and State pays agency. So the person who needs home care gets less hours. To best of my knowledge one should not assume that the home care agency personal assistants are part of SEIU. It would vary by agency. The State does now pay a little sick time and overtime. Sick pay reduces the amount of dollars available for actual care. With respect to Surburban Mom (I always read her comments and respect them.) there is no regular source or place except for a private health care agencies to find personal assistants. Also, the home care world changes in adulthood. The amount and type of services will be seriously reduced. The Medicaid waivers are different for children-better-than adults. I don’t know about social security. The State covers workman’s comp. No deferred comp or retirement plan exists. Unless the worker is an agency worker the employer is the disabled person. It can be a confusing and complicated world involving HFS,DORs, Aging, the Divusion for cripple children, and the Division of Developmental Disabilities plus more. SEIU’s ask is complex and they paint a false picture of the work and how it works for the workers. My opinion is they just want more for their union members and consequences to the seriously and moderately disabled are not important.
Comment by Almost retired Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:31 pm
@Tom
I thank you for your concerns. I am grateful for what the State pays for and through the years there have been many good home care committed staff some but not all SEIU members. I wish the system was better organized and easier to understand. It does get complicated. take care.
Comment by Almost retired Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 3:37 pm
But even if these concerns were addressed, it still be much cheaper to Illinois Taxpayers, otherwise the other choice in a lot of cases are nursing home placement which cost a lot more per IDPH website
Comment by 13th Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 8:22 pm
So if all SEIU members in home health care now go to pensions and $25/hr what’s that number going to look like?
Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Feb 5, 24 @ 9:17 pm