Unions Target Home Workers

[question everything]

By KRIS MAHER

As the population ages, more people are being paid by the government to care for the elderly in their homes. That has prompted unions to try to organize more such workers, who typically receive modest wages and few or no benefits. But others question whether these workers even qualify to join a union, noting that many are caring for their relatives and could be considered self-employed. Battles have broken out in many legislatures over moves to allow, or bar, these workers from organizing.

The number of home health-care workers is expected to reach 3.2 million by 2020, up 68% from 1.9 million in 2010, according to the Labor Department. Also known as personal-care aides, the workers typically bathe, dress and feed the elderly and people with disabilities, for a median wage of $9.70 an hour in 2010, the Labor Department says. Many have no health-care coverage themselves. A large percentage of these workers are hired directly by people with disabilities or their families, rather than being employed by private agencies. Workers typically are paid with Medicaid or Medicare funds administered by states.

(snip)

Unions and many Democratic lawmakers say workers receiving public funds are state employees and can be unionized. Many Republican lawmakers and opponents of unionization argue that home-care workers are independent contractors, and therefore ineligible to join unions.

Last month, Democrats in Minnesota passed a bill over Republican objections giving 15,000 home health-care workers, as well as 7,000 home child-care providers, the ability to join unions. In Vermont, Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a measure last month permitting the state's 7,000 home health aides to unionize. In Connecticut, Democrats have passed measures enabling unions to represent the workers. Republicans have overturned some moves to allow organizing home health-care workers, notably in Wisconsin and Ohio. Lawsuits filed by conservative groups are seeking to overturn organizing in other states.

(snip)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324049504578541593593292614.html

(if you cannot open by clicking, copy and paste the title onto google)

[femmocrat]

1. If anyone ever needed a union, it is those over-worked and underpaid people.

My guess is that they are mostly women.

[friendly_iconoclast]

2. We have one: the Service Employees International Union

http://www.seiu.org/

...of which I am a member.

[AllyCat]

5. yeah!!

Walker destroyed a good chunk of the newly organized home care workers here in Wisco who we had just welcomed to SEIU about a year before his monkeying around. We continue to fight at the state level for their rights to organize.

[kickysnana]

3. The State of Minnesota has actually been balancing the budget taking 2% wage cuts from us.

For each of the last three years. Average by was $10 an hour. Pay used to top out at about $15 an hour but most people need multiple clients and crappy work hours to earn a living paying for their own transportation between jobs. It is hard to work enough to attain the very poor benefits offered. Health Insurance could easily wipe out your whole paycheck.

The rolling sequester is putting the squeeze on Transportation for medical appointments, Meals on Wheels and other in home support services.

I can the fall of Russia's geriatric apocalypse in our future if they manage to kill Social Security and Medicare. They bought and paid for the Congress, President and the Supreme Court many times over. We are teetering on the brink. I hope that the sheeple wake up and take back what is theirs.

[Sherman A1]

4. K&R

Thanks for Posting!