Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Earlier this month, home care workers of the In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS) represented by SEIU Local 2015, clergy, and community leaders united for a prayer service and action at the Board of Supervisors office in appreciation and recognition of caregivers who are fighting for a contract that offers a livable wage.
County leaders offered a $0 wage increase to the county’s IHSS caregivers after months of negotiations and delivering over 13,000 petitions of support from community members.
“Caregiving is hard work,” said Pastor Harold Hines. “It isn’t easy to fully dedicate your time and energy to someone who depends on you to survive, and in San Bernardino County we are blessed to have over 26,000 people who are willing to step up to the plate and be caregivers to our community’s seniors and people with disabilities. We are thankful for them and the work they do. They deserve more than minimum wage.”
The event started with an invocation at St. Bernadine’s Church and ended with an action outside of the Board of Supervisors building.
Afterward, clergy leaders, caregivers and their care recipients walked up to the Board of Supervisors office and demanded the county create a pathway out of poverty for the county’s IHSS caregivers.
The next bargaining session between IHSS caregivers and the county will be December 12, 2018.
