$23 an Hour Approved for Home Care Workers

 

Over 12.000 home care workers were approved for a $23 minimum wage by the State House and the State Senate this week. The new union contract covers independent Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) who are members of SEIU 1199NE.

“Congratulations to all the union members of SEIU 1199NE for winning one of the best PCA contracts in the nation,” union president Rob Baril said on Monday. “Today’s victory to finalize this contract with the approval of the General Assembly provides a path for sustainable home care PCA services in Connecticut, supporting elderly and disabled individuals to live independently at home,” added Baril, acknowledging support from House and Senate leadership and the Governor.

Current minimum wage for Connecticut’s independent PCAs is $18.25 per hour. Hourly rates will rise to $23 by Jan 1, 2026, making Connecticut a national leader in the compensation provided to PCAs serving Medicaid recipients in similar home care programs.

During the pandemic these health care workers risked their lives, but it became known that due to low pay some were living in their cars, unable to afford rent.

“We’ve fought so hard to do our job and provide quality home care for our consumers and their families. I love this job because I feel that I’m making a big difference in someone’s quality of life. But I also need to survive. This contract shows the progress we can achieve when we stand together and fight for justice,” said Winsted PCA Mike Sundberg after the new contract was voted into law at Connecticut’s State Senate and the House of Representatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects “684,000 openings for home health and personal care aides” each year, one of the fastest growing job sectors nationally for the next decade, in service of the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

“I am so happy for my union sisters and brothers, and for the people we care for every day. Black, Latina and white working-class women make up the majority of the home care workforce, so this will be a boost for many women that are struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck. We need to continue to raise standards for all nonprofit and long-term caregivers in Connecticut,” said New Haven PCA Amarilis Cruz.

CT Unions Join in Support of Sustainable Offshore Wind Energy

Labor leaders presented a pro-worker vision for generating sustainable offshore wind energy along the Southern New England coast as a virtual press conference, Friday, March 15, 2004. This effort unites organized labor, the environmental movement, coastal communities and elected officials.

“Every climate job should be a good job. We can't build our way out of the climate crisis with low-paying, exploitative jobs,” said Connecticut AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne.

The national significance of this commitment was highlighted by introductory remarks from Liz Schuler, President of the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial organizations (AFL-CIO). Labor leaders from the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are supporting their state governors efforts to create a multi-state approach to develop the offshore wind energy industry. These labor leaders represent state AFL-CIOs and State Building Trades Councils with hundreds of thousands of union members.

Building trades unions were early supporters of the new offshore wind energy industry creating support at the state level in collaboration with environmental groups and representatives of coastal communities.

These new collaborative efforts include working to build the industry supply chain, create new job opportunities through apprenticeship and technical high school programs, and ensure that women and people of color are involved with these training programs and are employed in this growing industry.

Connecticut AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne provided an overview of organized labor's approach to this developing industry. He called for fighting climate change with a combination of environmental and economic job benefits that will help transition to a greener economy. He also called for a jut transition that will provide prevailing wages, project labor agreements, fight climate change and lift up communities.

The approach to fighting the climate crisis and creating jobs that benefit workers, their families and communities is part of the federal effort by the Biden administration to jump start offshore wind energy production along the U.S. Coastline. This includes manufacturing turbines and related components, assembling and maintaining wind farms, and connecting to onshore power grids.

The press conference illustrates the labor movement's commitment to provide a leading role in building a broad coalition united in fighting he climate crisis, creating good paying union jobs, benefiting women and communities of color, and strengthening coastal communities.

Tenants Join Union for Stable, Affordable Housing

From new tenants unions across the state to pushing for expansion of Just Cause eviction protections at the Legislature, the Connecticut Tenants Union (CTTU) is enabling renters to win stability and affordability in the midst of the housing crisis..

Tenants in East Hartford are the latest to join the CTTU. They want a collective bargaining agreement with their mega landlord to stop leaking, and guarantee heat which they lacked this winter. Like other tentnts, they realize the only way to have decent living conditions is to join together and negotiate as one group.

The CTTU hopes to orgaize all renters in the state so they can gain power as tenants and also gain political power to guarantee their rights.

Currently those over 62 years old and those with disability are covered by Just Cause eviction protections which prohibit landlords from evicting tenants if they have paid their rent and kept up the property. SB 143 would expand those protections to all tenants.

Hundreds of tenants and their allies turned out to testify before the Housing Committee last month. Speaking on behalf of the Connecticut Communist Party, Joelle Fishman warned, “The ability to have a stable place to call home is shrinking away for thousands of hard working people including families with children whose education is being disrupted as a result.”

“Since the pandemic, investment firms have been gobbling up properties in my city of New Haven and in cities across the state,” she said. “They have no interest in the renters, they are only looking at maximizing profits. They are quick to issue eviction notices to tenants who pay their rent and keep up the property, so they can make a few cosmetic repairs and then hike the rents exorbitantly for the next family.”

The Housing Committee approved SB 143 with all Democrats voting yes and all Republicans voting no. The bill must now win majority approval in the Senate and House. The CTTU is calling on tenants and allies across the state to share their stories with their legislators..

Expressing appreciation for the CTTU, Fishman urged passage of the Just Cause bill because, “It will prevent families from crisis and homelessness, and will hold mega landlords accountable.”

“Ultimately, bigger solutions will be needed to guarantee decent, affordable housing as a human right,” she concluded.

Women Demand Paid Sick Days for All

Honoring women in March, She Leads Justice along with a large coalition is organizing to win expanded Paid Sick Days so all women and families in Connecticut are covered.

A long struggle for Paid Sick Days resulted in Connecticut being the first state to establish such coverage in 2011, but it did not include everyone.

“Carveouts in Connecticut’s current law exclude 88% of our workforce from the guaranteed right to paid sick days This amounts to 1.6 million workers without the time they need to heal, recover, or care for their families,” says She Leads Justice, formerly known as CWEALF..

The language of the current paid sick days law disproportionately leaves out low wage workers, many of whom are women of color. Only those who work for an employer with 50 or more workers, and who have worked more than 680 hours are covered. Eligibility is limited to certain service occupations, excluding nearly three quarters of Connecticut workers.

Paid sick days is part of the Equity Agenda of the Connecticut for All coalition. It is an important component of ending the two Connecticuts, one of great wealth and the other, the vast majority, struggling to make ends meet.

“Workers of color are over represented in industries that do not provide paid sick days and are far more likely to lack access,” says She Leads Justice.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic women and people of color were  over represented in front line jobs, but continue to lack critical support like paid sick leave.”

Dozens of women testified at the state capitol this month in support of SB 7 to Expand Paid Sick Days, telling their stories to underscore why Paid Sick Days is pivotal to their well being and the well being of the entire community..

The proposed legislation would cover all workers by removing the employer size threshold and lengthy definition of “service worker” to require all employers, regardless of size or industry, to provide paid sick time. It would begin eligibility 100 days after employment starts and for a minimum of 40 hours per year.

It would expand the definition of family to allow paid sick days to care for a child of any age or immediate family member It would extend access to safe days to cover care for a family member who experiences family violence or sexual assault