The lead editorial in the January 27 New York Times calls on the federal government to improve wages and labor protections for home care workers — a major area of advocacy for the DCA.
The editorial urges the Obama administration to “rewrite the rules to extend federal protections to home care workers” or work with Congress to pass a law granting those protections –the same recommendation the DCA made in its December letter to President Obama (pdf).
The boom in health care jobs should be a bright spot in today’s economy, the Times points out, but “unfortunately, one of the fastest-growing areas within the health care field — home care for the elderly — also is one of the lowest paid and most exploitable.”
Much of the editorial focuses on the “outdated labor rules from 1975″ that exempt home care aides from federal overtime and minimum wage laws — rules that home care worker Evelyn Coke challenged and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in 2007. It has already inspired a long list of comments, which are also worth reading.
The Direct Care Alliance launched the Respect for Homecare Workers Campaign in 2007 to gain support and bring attention to this issue.
There’s no better time then today to tell your state and federal officials why they need to fix this unfair, disrespectful and harmful policy. When the DCA met with President Obama’s transition team, we advocated for fixing the Fair Labor Standards Act ruling and including the direct care workforce in the economic stimulus package currently being debated in Congress.
Please join the Direct Care Alliance, the national advocacy voice for direct care workers, to ensure that direct care workers get the family-sustaining wages and benefits they need and deserve, by:
- Forwarding our letter (pdf) to your legislators and policymakers, asking them include direct care workers in the stimulus package
- Joining our National Direct Care Partnership
- Signing our Respect_for_Homecare_Workers_pledge form (PDF)
For inspiration, you might want to read the speeches written by direct care workers who graduated from our Voices Institute about why it’s in everyone’s interest to see that home care workers get overtime and minimum wage protection.
Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance
What is the status for Home Care Workers within the Stimulus Package as it stands now?….since most social/human investment/capital is currently seen by many as only being able to be appropriately handled within Appropriations Legislation?
Hello,
We met with Obama’s staff and advocated for the inclusion of direct care workers in the stimulus package because we see them as key actors to generate economic activity. The bad news is that there is no specific provision aimed at home care. The good news is that there will be an increase in the Federal Medicaid match as currently being debated in Congress, but it is aimed at helping states avoid making drastic cuts in their programs. Also, we understand that the training funds allocated in the stimulus would be accessible for community organizations engaged in direct care work. There are other provisions under the stimulus that direct care workers may be able to participate in. For us, this points to the dire need to get as many people and organizations joining our advocacy work so that our voices can be heard. Get involved and help us advocate for this workforce. I believe that the DCA is making strides in building a powerful voice for the workers, but we need help. Join us and feel free to contact me directly at lvega@directcarealliance.org
Thank you
Leona,
I went on the white house .gov website and wrote a comment about the need for DCW to be paid a living wage so women don’t have to work 2 shifts to make ends meet. Perhaps this organization could encourage its’ readers and members to do the same. The letter to the President was a good pro-active move, but this could add to it. Everything helps.
Jetta Smith
Founder Executive Caregivers
Jetta,
Fantastic idea. Right now, there are two things people can do that would be very helpful: 1. email, call or write legislators who are voting on the stimulus package to advocate for the inclusion of the recommendations the Direct Care Alliance presented to the Obama team when we met with them. 2. visit our legislative action center and send a letter to ensure that home care workers receive basic wage protections, including minimum wage and overtime pay.
We also invite people who want to improve direct care jobs to visit our Direct Care Partnership page and sign up to become a member. While the DCA is the advocacy voice of, by and for direct care workers, the Partnership is a large grassroots group of allies who support our agenda.
I am a direct care worker and I went to the legislative action page and sent letters to my elected officials also. I told them that they need to grant homecare workers the same basic protection under FLSA as eveyone else. I also said we need to recognize the importance of the work we do and with out the same basic right it seems that our chosen profession is not one that is respected. I truly believe that this would be a first step in getting the direct care profession the respect we deserve. I also believe that direct care workers do not do this job because of the money, we do it because it is the right thing to do.
Our country better wake up soon before it is to late and the boomers need care and there is no one to care for them because either the caregivers are too old themselves or no one chose to enter this line of work because of the poor pay and benifits.
I am a CDAC (certified direct attendant care) worker in Iowa and I help an elderly woman with her daily needs, like washing her clothes, cleaning her apartment, running errands, taking her to the doctor or to get her groceries, etc. I was told that the state won’t let me claim time for waiting for her wash to get done (I have to wash her items in a laundry room that it shared by all of the tenants.) I can only claim the time it takes me to put the wash in and when it is done taking it out and folding it, even though I have to make sure that I get it out on time so others can use it and I am using my time to do this. I also make a meal for her every evening and I can’t claim the time it is taking for me to wait for the meal to get done, only the time it takes to put it together and serve it, even though I am there using my time to keep checking on it, etc. I also take her to her doctors appointments and to get her medicine, but they will only pay me for the time it takes to get there and back, not the time I have to wait for her or the pharmacist.
I just think that this is really unfair and no other work places would get by with this. I should be able to get paid for all of my time as long as it is needed.