We are excited to report that the Senate confirmed President Obama’s appointment of M. Patricia Smith as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor.
This is great news for direct care workers because Ms. Smith has a proven track record as a champion for American workers. In her new position, she will be responsible for enforcing national labor laws. The DCA is hopeful that she will make the extension of federal wage and overtime protections to home care workers a top priority once she takes office.
A group of Pennsylvanians is marching the 135 miles from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., over the next week. They are going to call on Congress to support health care reform, and they want you to join them.
It may be a little late to join the march from start to finish, since it starts on February 17, but the leaders of Melanie’s March are also looking for people to join them at events along the way in cities like Newark, Wilmington, and Baltimore; donate to support the cause; or march the last mile with them to Capitol Hill. Continue reading »
The Direct Care Alliance will welcome another new staff member and boost our presence in the nation’s capitol when Aaron P. Pickering joins us as our full-time director of communications next week.
Aaron comes to us from Equal Justice Works, where he helped promote the work of law students and attorneys providing pro bono representation to low-income and vulnerable individuals and families. As their senior communications specialist, he was part of the team that developed their communications and marketing strategy. Aaron brings the right combination of skills and passion for social justice that will benefit the DCA as we fight for improving the direct care profession. Continue reading »
The National Employment Law Project’s Reclaiming our Wages conference was an energizing meeting of people from universities, non-profit organizations, unions, and government agencies. What we all had in common was a commitment to strengthening the rights of workers who are often victims of injustices such as poor working conditions and wage theft.
The November 6 and 7 conference was a great opportunity to learn more about the creative approaches that some of our allies are taking to address the needs of their constituents and to build partnerships in confronting some of the common challenges that we face. One of the conference highlights was Peggie Smith’s presentation on policy and organizing strategies to address the needs of home care workers. It was very gratifying to hear her recognize the DCA and its state affiliates for our work to improve direct care jobs!
Before heading to DC with the DCA this spring, CNA Renee Tillman, the founder and president of the Texas Association of Nurse Assistants, asked her colleagues what they wanted her to tell legislators about direct care work. Here’s what they said.
The DCA's DC contingent for EWA Hill Day. That's me in the middle
If you’ve read my earlier stories for this blog, you know about the journey I’ve made from “the mouse in the corner” to “the lion that roared.” Well, last week I was reminded of why that journey mattered when a legislative staffer in Washington, D.C., asked me to provide wording for a possible amendment to a Senate bill.
I was in D.C. on September 14 and 15 to participate in the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA) Hill Day. This time around I felt pretty comfortable, since I knew what to expect — at least, I thought I did.
At a training on Monday evening, we were briefed on EWA’s mission and the “asks” they wanted us to make the next day on Capitol Hill. The next morning, I was paired up with Mike Malone, a geriatrician from Wisconsin. We talked about the meetings we were scheduled for that day over breakfast, practicing what we wanted to say and what order it should go in. Then we jumped in a van to catch a ride to the Capitol.
Our first visit was with a Wisconsin senator’s staffer. Mike and I introduced ourselves and explained the importance of an adequately prepared elder care workforce and how the need for workers is only going to increase as the baby boomers enter the long term care system. We explained that our elders deserve a workforce that is trained and prepared to care for them.
My mind was racing as I sat there. I knew I was there to represent direct care workers. “It’s now or never,” I thought. “Open your mouth and speak!” Continue reading »
As every direct care worker advocate knows, personal and home care aides earn far too little for the important work they do. And now an updated version of PHI’s State Chart Book on Wages for Personal and Home Care Aides (PDF) gives advocates a valuable tool, proving that real wages are actually getting worse.
The chart book analyzes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, adjusting last year’s wages for inflation to see how their earning power compares to average wages in 1999.
Nationwide, these inflation-adjusted rates, which the chartbook calls “real wages,” have decreased by 3 percent over the past nine years, dropping from $7.50 an hour to just $7.31. Real wages increased in more than half the states during that period, but not enough to make up for their decline in the other 21.
Median wages in 2008 ranged from $7.05 an hour in Texas to $12.55 in Alaska in 2008, or real wages of $5.61 to $9.90. “Wages for personal and home care aides are so low,” says PHI Director of Policy Research Dorie Seavey, “that about 20 percent of these workers received a raise on July 24 when the minimum wage increased to $7.25/hour.”
The chartbook also compares wages to federal poverty level wages for a one-person household.
Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance
Before this year I’d never been to Washington, D.C., but my work with the DCA has brought me there a lot. My latest visit was on July 24, when I met with staff from the Department of Labor (DOL) about the rule that excludes home care workers from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). I went with Leonila Vega, the DCA’s executive director, and Vera Salter, the chair of our board of directors.
It was a real learning experience for me. Once again, as often happens in my work with the DCA, I was reminded of how important it is for direct care workers to stand up and tell their stories.
In my hotel room the night before, I read and re-read the information Leonila had given me to share with the DOL staff. I wanted to be prepared, so I would represent my profession and my fellow direct care workers well.
Across the country, direct care workers are speaking up and being heard by policy makers, long term care consumers, and employers. In my work with the DCA, I’ve traveled far and wide and been fortunate enough to be part of a national movement of direct care workers who are finding their voices, standing up and speaking out.
In the past few weeks, I was invited on a TV talk show here in Maine (see video) to talk about the work I’ve been doing to make health care more affordable for direct care workers. I’ve attended and spoken at direct care worker conferences in Texas — both Houston and Killeen – and in Pennsylvania. I’ve helped organize and participated in more than 50 visits with House and Senate members in Washington DC by direct care workers and their allies. And I’ve met with new DCA partners in New Mexico.
Change is in the wind! To see what I mean, come along while I revisit the highlights of the last two or three months: Continue reading »
A full set of DCA Direct Care Fact Sheets, one for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is now available in the Resources section of our website.
The one-page sheets were created as a resource for direct care worker advocates and their allies, legislators, policymakers, members of the media, and others interested in direct care issues. They include key facts such as:
The number of home health aides, nursing assistants, and personal and home care aides in the state in 2006 and the projected numbers of each in 2016
The average hourly wage for the state’s direct care workers
What percentage of direct care workers in that state or region are without health insurance
Elise Nakhnikian
Communications Director
Direct Care Alliance
A full set of 
