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In addition to the Trumpeter Award, NCL will honor April Verrett, President of Service Employees International Union Local 2015 in Los Angeles, with the 2021 Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award, named for NCL’s first general secretary and one of the most influential figures in 20^th Century American history.

MEDIA ADVISORY

What: National Consumers League’s 2021 Trumpeter Awards

When: Tuesday, October 12, 2021

7 pm Presentation of Awards

Where: The Mayflower Hotel | Grand Ballroom
1127 Connecticut Ave, NW 

Washington, DC 20036

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, has been honoring visionaries in consumer and worker protection with its annual Trumpeter Award since 1973. Past honorees include: Senator Ted Kennedy, the award’s inaugural recipient, as well as Labor Secretaries Hilda Solis, Robert Reich, and Alexis Herman, Senators Carl Levin and Paul Wellstone, Delores Huerta of the United Farm Workers, U.S. Representative John Lewis, and other honored consumer and labor leaders.

Last year’s Trumpeter recipients were Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and journalist Vicky Nguyen. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Karl Racine was recipient of the Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award.

This year’s Trumpeter Awards will feature a reception, dinner, and speaking appearances by NCL leadership and the honorees, as well as: 

• Maria Cardona, CNN Commentator & Principal of Dewey Square Group
• Former FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz
• Grace Whiting, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving
• Karl Racine, Attorney General of the District of Columbia
• NCL Board Chair Dominique Warren, Deputy Director of Government Relations at Service Employees International Union
• NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg

To learn more, visit nclnet.org/trumpeter_awards.

Due to COVID restrictions, attendance at this event is limited. Members of the media may inquire about attendance options by contacting Carol McKay, (724) 799-5392.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

The post Watchdog group to present annual awards to incoming CFPB Director Chopra, Michigan Governor and AG, and SEIU Local 2015 President Verrett on Tuesday, 10/12 appeared first on SEIU2015.

Our members have been making their voices heard across the state—through lobby visits and testimonies in Sacramento, rallies and strikes in the streets, and through their own COPE contributions. 

Our members’ work made sure that elected leaders understand why we must stop ultra-wealthy nursing home owners’ get-rich schemes. This legislation will fight nursing home executives who use accounting tricks that shovel profits back to themselves while neglecting resident care and worker safety.

The problem:

COVID-19 drew attention to the condition of California’s nursing homes, but these problems didn’t just surface in the pandemic. Those working in these facilities have been blowing the whistle on deficiencies for a long time, including more than 20,000 nursing home workers of SEIU Local 2015.

As far back as 2015, the Sacramento Bee unmasked the intricate corporate structure behind Brius Healthcare—California’s largest nursing home chain. The Bee’s reporting revealed how the legal layer cake allows corporate owners to shield themselves from responsibility for dangerous nursing home conditions.

Then, as the pandemic reached its peak last December, the Washington Post reported that Brius paid SEVENTY related companies for everything from rent to supplies. Some of these were owned by executives’ family members—and the whole scheme has one goal: to funnel as many taxpayer dollars as possible into owners’ pockets and away from resident care.

The solution:

Our own SEIU Local 2015 union, in partnership with SEIU California, investigated the issues and learned that these corporate shell games are widespread and growing.  Related party transactions now account for more than $1 billion dollars siphoned from nursing homes and into sister corporations.

So our SEIU Local 2015 union found key long-term care advocates in Sacramento to introduce legislation to address this.

SB 650 (Stern)

Senate Bill 650 requires nursing homes to file annual consolidated financial statements, giving the State and the public more information on nursing homes, many of which are privately owned by large for-profit chains that utilize increasingly elaborate corporate structures to hide their finances and shield themselves from oversight. This shines a light on how nursing homeowners hide behind financial and legal corporate shell games to enrich themselves, while their facilities are understaffed, lack supplies, and pay poverty wages—all at the expense of taxpayers, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

The law goes into effect on January 1, 2024 (this will capture financial reports starting with the year 2023).

AB 1042 (Jones-Sawyer)

Assembly Bill 1042 is an essential piece of legislation that closes existing loopholes that nursing facility owners exploit to use “third-party payments” to shell companies in order to evade accountability for abuse and substandard care. AB 1042 will hold nursing homeowners and operators accountable by allowing the state to pursue penalty payments from all of the parties who profit from nursing home care, regardless of the corporate shell games nursing home operators play. This bill is one important step toward transforming nursing homes from profit centers to care centers.

This law goes into effect on January 1, 2023.

Here’s what our members had to say!

These bills are an important first step to getting the money where it’s supposed to be: on safe staffing, good jobs, and safe patient care. In my facility, we often have only two CNAs on the floor for as many as 52 patients. How can two people feed 52 elderly patients—not to mention shower, clothe, walk with, assist with toileting, answer call lights, assist with emergencies, and more. It’s impossible. We’re supposed to have two or three times that many CNAs on the floor. And clearly the owners have the money.

Jesus Figueroa, 
a CNA in the Sacramento Area

Next steps for Union members:

1. Once these laws do their job of uncovering the double-dealing, we’ll be able to publicly call out the injustice and profiteering that’s happening at the expense of our patients. We’ll use this information to bring quality and safety to nursing home jobs and patients. 
2. This victory was made possible due to the voices and strength of Union members. You have the ability to join our community of caregivers to make real, lasting change by becoming a member! Interested? Click here to sign up.

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For Delores Sobowale, taking care of others is part of her inheritance and her legacy. Her mother cared for a White family in Jim Crow-era North Carolina for decades before starting her own child care…

The post The New Deal devalued home care workers. Advocates hope new legislation can undo that. appeared first on SEIU2015.

Our members have been making their voices heard across the state—through lobby visits and testimonies in Sacramento, rallies and strikes in the streets, and through their own COPE contributions. 

Our members’ work made sure that elected leaders understand why we must stop ultra-wealthy nursing home owners’ get-rich schemes. This legislation will fight nursing home executives who use accounting tricks that shovel profits back to themselves while neglecting resident care and worker safety.

The problem:

COVID-19 drew attention to the condition of California’s nursing homes, but these problems didn’t just surface in the pandemic. Those working in these facilities have been blowing the whistle on deficiencies for a long time, including more than 20,000 nursing home workers of SEIU Local 2015.

As far back as 2015, the Sacramento Bee unmasked the intricate corporate structure behind Brius Healthcare—California’s largest nursing home chain. The Bee’s reporting revealed how the legal layer cake allows corporate owners to shield themselves from responsibility for dangerous nursing home conditions.

Then, as the pandemic reached its peak last December, the Washington Post reported that Brius paid SEVENTY related companies for everything from rent to supplies. Some of these were owned by executives’ family members—and the whole scheme has one goal: to funnel as many taxpayer dollars as possible into owners’ pockets and away from resident care.

The solution:

Our own SEIU Local 2015 union, in partnership with SEIU California, investigated the issues and learned that these corporate shell games are widespread and growing.  Related party transactions now account for more than $1 billion dollars siphoned from nursing homes and into sister corporations.

So our SEIU Local 2015 union found key long-term care advocates in Sacramento to introduce legislation to address this.

SB 650 (Stern)

Senate Bill 650 requires nursing homes to file annual consolidated financial statements, giving the State and the public more information on nursing homes, many of which are privately owned by large for-profit chains that utilize increasingly elaborate corporate structures to hide their finances and shield themselves from oversight. This shines a light on how nursing homeowners hide behind financial and legal corporate shell games to enrich themselves, while their facilities are understaffed, lack supplies, and pay poverty wages—all at the expense of taxpayers, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

The law goes into effect on January 1, 2024 (this will capture financial reports starting with the year 2023).

AB 1042 (Jones-Sawyer)

Assembly Bill 1042 is an essential piece of legislation that closes existing loopholes that nursing facility owners exploit to use “third-party payments” to shell companies in order to evade accountability for abuse and substandard care. AB 1042 will hold nursing homeowners and operators accountable by allowing the state to pursue penalty payments from all of the parties who profit from nursing home care, regardless of the corporate shell games nursing home operators play. This bill is one important step toward transforming nursing homes from profit centers to care centers.

This law goes into effect on January 1, 2023.

Here’s what our members had to say!

These bills are an important first step to getting the money where it’s supposed to be: on safe staffing, good jobs, and safe patient care. In my facility, we often have only two CNAs on the floor for as many as 52 patients. How can two people feed 52 elderly patients—not to mention shower, clothe, walk with, assist with toileting, answer call lights, assist with emergencies, and more. It’s impossible. We’re supposed to have two or three times that many CNAs on the floor. And clearly the owners have the money.

Jesus Figueroa, 
a CNA in the Sacramento Area

Next steps for Union members:

1. Once these laws do their job of uncovering the double-dealing, we’ll be able to publicly call out the injustice and profiteering—at the expense of our patients. We’ll use the information at the bargaining table, in our outreach to reporters, public actions, and all of our work to bring quality and safety to nursing home jobs and patients.
2. Take our SEIU 2015 Caregiver Powered Politics survey to tell us what you’d like to see us work on in Sacramento next year. Click here to take the survey!
3. This victory was made possible due to the contributions of our members to our Caregiver Action Fund. You have the ability to make or increase your Caregivers Action Fund contribution today by clicking here. The Caregivers Action Fund (COPE) program is vital to keeping the In Home Supportive Services program alive. The government directly funds our program, so we need political power to advocate for ourselves and our clients and to keep winning strong contracts.

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PROTECT Plan Aims to Fix Broken Nursing Home Industry

DATA SHOWS NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY FOR NURSING HOME DOLLARS WITH SB 650

Sacramento, CA – The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California released the following statement upon Governor Newsom signing SB 650 (Stern) into law. SB 650 requires nursing homes to file annual consolidated financial statements, giving the State and the public more information on nursing homes, many of which are privately owned by large for-profit chains that utilize increasingly elaborate corporate structures to hide their finances and shield themselves from oversight.

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted what SEIU members already knew: the nursing home industry hasn’t been putting care first,” said April Verrett, President of SEIU Local 2015 and Executive Board Member of SEIU California. “SB 650 shines a light on how nursing home owners hide behind financial and legal corporate shell games to enrich themselves, while their facilities are understaffed, lack supplies, and pay poverty wages—all at the expense of taxpayers, the elderly and people with disabilities. 

“SEIU members stood with the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform and AARP to ensure California regulators and consumer advocates are able to follow the money to transform our state’s nursing homes from profit centers to care centers. We applaud the Governor for standing with nursing home workers and signing this critical legislation into law.” 

SB 650 is the cornerstone of the PROTECT Plan, a package of legislation designed to fix California’s ailing nursing home industry. The package includes the following bills that Governor Newsom signed into law today:

SB 650 (Stern): Corporate Transparency in Elder Care Act of 2021
Californians are paying more for nursing home care, for fewer residents, than ever before and we are not getting our money’s worth. Despite spending nearly six billion dollars a year, complaints against facilities are at record highs and the care provided is often abysmal Nursing homes are using complex ownership structures to siphon unprecedented amounts of money to “related parties,” allowing corporate home offices to hide their profits and support facilities’ claims for yet more public money. SB 650 requires nursing homes to file annual consolidated financial statements, giving the State and the public more transparency for nursing home payments. The bill also requires nursing home management and property companies to submit certified financial reports. The public has the right to know how much of its money is supporting nursing home residents versus how much is being spent on the lifestyles of billionaire nursing homes owners.

AB 323 (Kalra): Nursing Home Citations
By many measures, nursing home care in California has never been worse. Complaints filed against nursing homes in California are at record levels. Chronic understaffing, inappropriate discharges, overdrugging, and poor infection control practices stubbornly persist and contributed to the unfathomable disaster that played out in nursing homes in 2020. AB 323 will enhance the state nursing home enforcement system by providing a long-overdue inflationary boost to nursing home citation penalties. The bill also updates the criteria for AA citations (those that cause the death of a resident) from the old “direct proximate cause of death’ standard to the more clear “substantial factor” standard. Nursing homes should receive an AA citation when their misconduct is a substantial factor in a resident’s death. AB 323 will help improve nursing home compliance with the regulatory standards of care but more critically, improve resident safety and well-being.

AB 849 (Reyes): Nursing Home Resident Rights
Since 1982, California nursing home residents have had a “private right of action” (the ability to sue) for violations of their rights. Last year, the state Supreme Court ruled that nursing homes that violate the rights of residents may only be held liable for $500 maximum, regardless of how many rights a facility violates and how egregious those violations are. Nursing homes now routinely infringe multiple rights of residents and simply send the victims $500 checks as a license to violate. Poor care is officially profitable. AB 849 will restore facility liability to up to $500 per violation, so that offending facilities have to answer for every breach of resident rights it commits.

AB 1042 (Jones-Sawyer): Joint Liability
AB 1042 closes loopholes in accountability for the owners of skilled nursing facilities. The current law is used by SNF investors as a barrier to achieving high standards and quality care. This bill opposes that trend by establishing shared standards and liability for entities that have shared ownership or control. Related parties will be notified of Class A, AA, and B citations, and will be held liable for unpaid monetary penalties on those citations. Additionally, related parties will be held accountable for unpaid Quality Assurance Fees (QAFs), as well as any penalties and interest on unpaid QAFs.

The PROTECT Plan legislative package also includes the following bills waiting for Governor Newsom’s signature:

AB 279 (Muratsuchi): Prohibiting Resident Eviction During the Pandemic
Many residents of California skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) and Intermediate Care Facilities (“ICFs”) face a terrible prospect in the ongoing COVID pandemic: involuntary transfer to new facilities, sight unseen, far from their families and support networks. AB 279 would prohibit the owner of an ICF or SNF from ceasing to deliver or making significant changes to residential care services, or from transferring a resident to another facility, during any declared state of emergency relating to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), except if the owner files for bankruptcy. The bill’s protections would expire one year after the cessation of states of emergency, to permit residents and their families to assess new facilities if their current homes are going to close.

AB 749 (Nazarian): Certification of Nursing Home Medical Directors
25% of California’s COVID deaths have occurred in nursing homes. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with modest training for medical directors. Medical directors are physicians who lead the clinical care and help set the facility culture in nursing homes. Some facilities have medical directors who lack the qualifications for the job. This bill will require nursing home medical directors to be certified by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Certification should improve the performance of nursing home medical directors, which will improve the care for all residents.

“When I learned about the legislation our Union was championing, I decided to research it on my own,” said Margaret Caldwell, a CNA in Eureka. “I was surprised to learn that the self-dealing and the lack of transparency I had witnessed was not peculiar to our corporate owners, but is rampant throughout the industry. Instead of investing in resident care and creating well-compensated jobs in our communities, these companies are using America’s elderly and disabled as cash cows. Staff become disillusioned and leave. So I spoke out at lobby visits and hearings to fight for these bills. You can read my piece that was published in the Times-Standard here. Together, we will continue to work as a united force to improve skilled nursing facilities for residents and employees.”

“These bills are an important first step to getting the money where it’s supposed to be: on safe staffing, good jobs, and safe patient care,” said Jesus Figueroa, a CNA in the Sacramento Area. “In my facility, we often have only two CNAs on the floor for as many as 52 patients. How can two people feed 52 elderly patients—not to mention shower, clothe, walk with, assist with toileting, answer call lights, assist with emergencies, and more. It’s impossible. We’re supposed to have two or three times that many CNAs on the floor. And clearly the owners have the money.”

# # #

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The COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc on the long-term care industry, months after the wave of deaths and illnesses began to ease in nursing homes.

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Other Provisions in Agreement Include Advanced Healthcare Protections and Transit Subsidies

Marin County, CA–The in-home supportive services (IHSS) caregivers of SEIU Local 2015 reached a tentative agreement on their Union contract with Marin County on September 24th after months of often emotional negotiations. Caregivers at the bargaining table lifted up their tumultuous experiences during the past year-and-a-half to push forward the critical improvements needed in the workplace. Members worked tirelessly to bring the workforce closer to fair compensation and additional protection, contributing to their ongoing efforts to transform essential, skilled caregiver jobs into good jobs. This contract brings them a significant step closer, with investment in a pilot transportation subsidy and a wage increase that finally recognizes that these jobs should not be minimum wage jobs.

“This contract win is yet another critical improvement for not only In-Home Supportive Services members in Marin County, but statewide,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Arnulfo De La Cruz. “Our members are relentless in their fight to protect and serve our elderly and clients with disabilities, despite the desperately needed changes in working conditions they deal with every day. We’re grateful that the County has finally recognized these needs to ensure our members can properly and safely provide quality care.”

“We kept pushing at the bargaining table for the things homecare workers need to survive,” said Peter Tiernan, an IHSS worker in Marin County. “We’ve made a lot of progress since we won the right to form a Union. But it’s hard to put that in perspective when you can’t pay the landlord. So the wage increase is a step in the right direction as we continue to push for a living wage. The reduced healthcare eligibility hours is huge; the county estimates it could cover as many as an additional 200 providers. And the transportation pilot program is really important. Elderly people living on the outskirts of the county who want to age in place have a hard time finding care. The money to subsidize transportation actually makes it possible for more caregivers to reach those clients. Otherwise, with a long commute and low wages, the providers would be working for free. Like I said, everybody’s landlord would have something to say about that.”

Since January 2020, SEIU Local 2015 has worked with counties and nursing homes across the state of California to ratify more than 80 contracts, securing better pandemic safety, important COVID-19 and other trainings, improved wages and benefits, and a voice in the care its members provide. 

“​​This contract’s wage supplement of $1.45 brings the total wage up to $16.85 an hour for local Marin County caregivers effective upon Union ratification,” said SEIU Local 2015 President April Verrett. “These improvements are yet another pivotal step toward the $20 wage floor for all long-term care providers. The change is a testament to our continued mission behind our Time for $20 campaign. These efforts are propelled by Union members at bargaining tables across the state to raise standards in the industry, including access to healthcare, professional training, on-the-job safety, and secure retirement.”

In addition to the wage increase, other notable wins in this contract include:

• Healthcare

We reduced the monthly healthcare premium from $150 to $130 and reduced the eligibility for health and dental benefits from 85 hours a month to 65 hours a month.

• Transit Subsidy Pilot Program

We created a Transit Subsidy Pilot Program that will subsidize travel expenses for registry providers who are required to travel to reach their client, especially in remote locations and hard to serve areas. The amendment requires the Public Authority to spend up to $30,000 annually for this program.To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.

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Other Provisions in Agreement Include Healthcare Protections, Funding for Pandemic Safety Equipment, Professional Training and more 

Lake County, CA–The in-home supportive services (IHSS) caregivers of SEIU Local 2015 reached a tentative agreement on their Union contract with Lake County on September 17th after months of often emotional negotiations. Caregivers at the bargaining table lifted up their tumultuous experiences during the past year-and-a-half to push forward the critical improvements needed in the workplace. Members worked tirelessly to bring the workforce closer to fair compensation and additional protection, contributing to their ongoing efforts to transform essential, skilled caregiver jobs into good jobs. This contract brings them a significant step closer, with investment in important caregiver training and a wage increase that finally recognizes that these jobs should not be minimum wage jobs.

Union members carried out a  four year fight to reach this two-year agreement, so that members’ wages will increase to $15.65 in January. The contract also creates a $5,000 training fund managed by the Union to develop and run trainings on a variety of caregiving-related topics, and a $5,000 Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) fund managed by the Union. The contract takes effect when ratified by Union members and adopted by the Board of the Public Authority. It will remain in full force and effect until December 31, 2023

“This contract win is yet another critical improvement for not only In-Home Supportive Services members in Lake County, but statewide,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Arnulfo De La Cruz.“Our members are relentless in their fight to protect and serve our elderly and clients with disabilities, despite the desperately needed changes in working conditions they deal with every day. We’re grateful that the County has finally recognized these needs to ensure our members can properly and safely provide quality care.”

“This contract took  four years of bargaining with the county,” said Simone Tatman, an IHSS provider in Lake County. “It feels good that we were finally heard. We’ve been through a lot, and the pandemic just made it worse. In addition to the wage increase, we won funding for PPE and CPR training—both so important right now. The only reason I had masks at the beginning of the COVID outbreak is because the Union was able to get us some. But it was still hard to find sanitizer. And for providers who have three or four clients, having fresh PPE gets expensive, so this will really help.”

Since January 2020, SEIU Local 2015 has worked with counties and nursing homes across the state of California to ratify more than 80 contracts, securing better pandemic safety, important COVID-19 and other trainings, improved wages and benefits, and a voice in the care its members provide. 

“​​This contract increases hourly wages to permanently remain $.65 above minimum wage effective January 1, 2022,” SEIU Local 2015 President April Verrett. “These improvements are a huge step toward the $20 wage floor for all long-term care providers. The change is a testament to our continued mission behind our Time for $20 campaign. These efforts are propelled by Union members at bargaining tables across the state to raise standards in the industry, including access to healthcare, professional training, on-the-job safety, and secure retirement.”

In addition to the wage increase, other notable wins in this contract include:

• PPE

Annually, the Public Authority will give the Union $5,000 to purchase safety equipment for Lake County IHSS Providers.

• Training
  The Public Authority will provide the Union with $5,000 annually to develop and run trainings on various topics including universal precautions, infection control, CPR, basic first aid, proper lifting techniques, symptoms of heart attack, symptoms of stroke, symptoms of diabetic coma, or working with patients who suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s, mental health issues, and autism.

To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.

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Other Provisions in Agreement Include Healthcare Protections, Funding for Pandemic Safety Equipment, an Overtime Rate of $23.78 and more 

Modoc County, CA–The in-home supportive services (IHSS) caregivers of SEIU Local 2015 reached a tentative agreement on their Union contract with Modoc County on September 20th after successful negotiations. The agreement includes a wage increase to $15.85 from $14.00, effective upon State implementation.  It is an important victory on the path to a $20.00 wage floor for all IHSS workers. As the California Minimum Wage goes up in the future, the new negotiated wage will increase accordingly to remain at least $0.85 above the minimum wage. The contract also includes an immediate $0.85 increase, an overtime rate of $23.78, enhanced health and safety measures, and more.

“We’re thrilled to have won substantive improvements for our In-Home Supportive Services members in Modoc County,” said SEIU Local 2015 Executive Vice President Arnulfo De La Cruz. “This is an important milestone in our effort to ensure our members are protected and properly compensated. Our members are relentless in their fight to protect and serve our elderly and clients with disabilities, despite the desperately needed changes in working conditions they deal with every day. We’re grateful that the County has recognized these needs to ensure our members can properly and safely provide quality care.”

“We just took a big step on our path to a $20 wage for IHSS,” said Corina Torres, an IHSS provider in Alturas who was part of the Union’s Bargaining Team. “Another really important victory is the PPE that the county will supply. It was so hard up here last year. For six months, I couldn’t find bleach, laundry detergent, or other cleaning supplies. I had to wash clothes by hand with whatever soap I could find. I know a lot of care providers in my community. I heard the struggles and depression and sadness. I kept telling them don’t give up. So this agreement with the county is great news. We had a voice and we were heard and now we can feel supported.”

Since January 2020, SEIU Local 2015 has worked with counties and nursing homes across the state of California to ratify more than 80 contracts, securing better pandemic safety, important COVID-19 and other trainings, improved wages and benefits, and a voice in the care its members provide. 

“​​This contract strengthens the rights and COVID-19 safety protections of our caregivers who work tirelessly and have faced great risks, particularly over the past year and a half,” SEIU Local 2015 President April Verrett. “These improvements are due to the tireless work of members to eventually achieve a $20 wage floor for long-term care providers as a part of our Time for $20 campaign. The contract victory also represents an advancement in consumer care, as PPE and higher wages will help caretakers keep up with the needs of an aging population in all parts of the county.”

In addition to the wage increase, other notable wins in this contract include:

• COVID-19 Safety

The Public Authority will now provide personal protective equipment: gloves, masks and disinfectant sanitizer to Providers to give care to Consumers.  Providers have the right to decline to provide care services for Consumers that can’t be completed safely, as well as to decline to do care services outside of authorized care tasks.

• Provider Registry
  We newly expanded providers’ rights who are looking for Consumers through the Registry and clarified information the Public Authority will provide in order for the Union to assist Providers who have concerns with the Registry.

We expanded the rights of Providers to meet together and learn about their rights under the contract and with the Union. 

• No Discrimination  
  We expanded non-discrimination protections so that the Public Authority will work with providers to minimize issues of discrimination and harassment from consumers.

• Building a Stronger Union
  The terms of the agreement also apply to Waiver Care Personal Services (WPCS) providers, who are included in the agreement alongside IHSS providers.

The Public Authority will work with provider Union stewards to help and represent co-workers with our Contract, the IHSS program and to help providers with payroll issues.Providers will also be paid for their time spent in negotiations for future contracts.  

We clarified and improved language throughout the contract.To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.

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