Negotiations with the state of Connecticut are set to resume Wednesday for 10,000 home care workers demanding better pay, healthcare and a pathway to retirement. The clock is ticking since the workers’ current contract with the state is set to expire in one week.
The workers are seeking a $21.50 hourly wage, affordable healthcare, paid sick leave and vacation time and retirement benefits. Their demands are similar to those that Connecticut nursing home and group home workers recently secured, following a threat to strike.
District 1199 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents the workers. An SEIU spokesperson told a local media outlet that negotiations with the state have so far gone virtually nowhere. The SEIU wants the state to fund the new contract with the $200 million it received from the American Rescue Plan Act earmarked for community care.
Home care workers are paid by their clients, with state money provided through Medicaid which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services.
The SEIU is negotiating with the Workforce Council on behalf of Gov.Ned Lamont (D) and the Office of Policy and Management.
