Individual Providers Begin Formal Negotiations with the State of Washington; Real Action Will Take Place Away from Bargaining Table
IP Bargaining Update #1 (May 12, 2010)
Our campaign to protect home care workers and improve working conditions is underway with more than 30 home care workers* exchanging a first set of proposals with negotiators from the State of Washington last week over our 2011-2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (sometimes referred to as the Individual Provider Contract)
“We will bargain hard at the table because this contract sets the standard for all home care workers in the state,” said David Rolf, President of our union and chief spokesperson for our Bargaining Team.
“And when we’re not bargaining, we’ll be taking it to the streets – gathering signatures for Initiative 1098,” said Tanika Aden, a home care worker from Sea-Tac.
“Funding for health and long-term care is constantly under attack. The State has had to slash hours of care for clients, failed to fund raises for workers. The problem will only get bigger as more seniors start needing home care and other long-term care services,” Elia Martinez, a home care worker from Moses Lake added.
Our Bargaining Team presented a package of proposals covering a range of issues important to caregivers. These initial proposals touched on wages, training, health care, and mileage reimbursement.
In this first session, David, in his role as First Chair, emphasized the importance of developing a mature relationship with our contract that focuses on quality care delivery, innovation in our profession and lifting caregivers out of poverty. “We want to maintain a forward looking and innovative relationship that puts home care workers, seniors and people with disabilities first,” David explained.
The State will offer their response to our initial proposals at our next bargaining session on Tuesday, June 1.
Initiative 1098
Our bargaining team has committed that for every day of negotiations over the summer they will head into the streets of Washington to build support for Initiative 1098 by gathering signatures.
The big problem is that the wealthy are not paying their fair share. The wealthiest Washington residents only pay 3% of their income in state and local taxes, while we pay 17%. Wealthy out of state banks get tax breaks, while small businesses pay too much. That’s why we’ve joined together with small business owners, community groups, and other unions across the state to launch a campaign to raise more money for health care and education while providing a tax cut for working families and small businesses.
I-1098 establishes an income tax on those making over $200,000 a year. It cuts state property taxes by 20%. It reduces B&O taxes for small businesses to help them create jobs. And it dedicates a billion dollars a year in new funding for health care and our schools. And to hold politicians accountable, under I-1098, only the voters can expand or increase the income tax.
Next Bargaining Session: Tuesday, June 1
*Although this contract only covers individual providers, it sets the standards for all home care workers – including those that work for private agencies. That’s why the Bargaining Team includes both individual providers and agency home care workers.
Our IP Bargaining Team:
Tanika Aden (Sea-Tac);
Mary Cabrera (Tacoma);
Bonnie Epps (Walla Walla) ;
Denese Garcia (Granite Falls) ;
Suzie Dea Granstrom (Bremerton) ;
Sadije Haliti (Tacoma) ;
Chris Hardin (Port Orchard) ;
Evelyn Hetrick (Port Orchard) ;
Susan Jaggers (Goldendale) ;
Linda Lee (Vancouver) ;
Chong Lee (Tacoma) ;
David Lindberg (Everett) ;
Ella Ana Martinez (Moses Lake) ;
Debbie Moore (Tumwater) ;
Richmond Nguyen (Seattle) ;
Larry O’Connor (Vancouver) ;
Judith Powell (Kennewick);
Sue Rogers (Kent) ;
Marion (Mike) Roth (Seattle) ;
Flash Scaff, Jr. (Mountlake Terrace) ;
Gisela Silva-Badoo (Mukilteo) ;
Margaret Singh (Lynwood) ;
Kevin Smith (Vancouver) ;
Dorothy Smith (Olympia) ;
Lonnie Stoddard (Longview) ;
Pita Medina Tongu (Seattle) ;
Eloise Travess (Spanaway) ;
Karen Washington (Spokane) ;
Earlene Webster (Des Moines)