There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch full video from today's press conference with Loretta here.

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org.

There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch Loretta speak here:

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org

Why being in a union makes you more likely to have health insurance; H1N1 sick leave bill introduced, and news from around SEIU locals in Michigan, California and New York.

42,000 MI Home Care Workers Win Raise In Tough Budget Year: After months of activism and lobby days at the state capitol in Lansing, home care members of SEIU Healthcare Michigan won a significant victory yesterday. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a budget yesterday that provides a $0.50 raise across the board for all workers who provide care through the Home Help program.

The Face of Furloughs: After working for the state of California for over 30 years, SEIU Local 1000 member Renee Lee is speaking out about her fight to save her home. Joining thousands of CA state employees who have suffered the brunt of the state's economic crisis, the mandated time off w/out pay have decreased her monthly salary by over $450 per month and left her home in jeopardy. Watch the full video by CBS KOVR in Sacramento.

Faith Leaders in LA Turn Up Heat on Healthcare: In an event yesterday organized by SEIU, African American faith leaders made hundreds of calls to urge Congress to get healthcare reform done. Using SEIU's "faith line," leaders from across the community spoke out about the need for affordable healthcare for some of the community's most vulnerable members. Watch full story on Fox 11:

Union Members 25 Percent More Likely to Have Health Insurance: Today, a new report by the Employee Benefit Research Group shows that unionized workers are 25 percent more likely to have employee-paid health insurance. According to the report, "in September 2007, 83 percent of union workers were covered by health benefits through their own job, compared with 58 percent of nonunion workers." Read the report here.

H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick Leave Bill Finally Here: Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) announced emergency temporary legislation today that will guarantee five paid sick days for a worker sent home or instructed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness like the H1N1 flu virus. Next steps: According to Reuters, the House Ed & Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the legislation the week of November 16.

Accountability for NY State Home Care Industry: 1199SEIU UHW-E has launched a new website, HomeCareCrisis.org, as the first step in campaign to shine light on the economics of the home care industry. For example...Medicaid pays about $19 per hour for in-home care. Yet caregivers frequently receive as little as $7.50 per hour w/ no affordable healthcare benefits or paid time off.

Do you know a home care agency worthy of 1199SEIU's home care industry Hall of Shame? Nominate them here.

Turning States Purple on Election Day: Down to the wire, purple canvassers are out in force this Election Day--turning out the vote in key races in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia and Texas. Stay tuned tomorrow as we report on the where and how our members helped make the difference.

Got news? Share it with us for SEIU's Blog by emailing us at newmedia[at]seiu[dot]org.

Home care providers, seniors, and people with disabilities prevailed in federal court yesterday, securing a preliminary injunction to stop cuts to essential home care for 130,000 Californians. We've been following this fight for several months now, and it's such amazing news for home care workers and those they care for that this ruling will put a stop to these devastating cuts.

Watch SEIU's Deb Roth recap the ruling from Judge Wilkins:

The planned budget cuts of $82.1 million in services were scheduled to take place November 1, and would've resulted in 40,000 people losing IHSS services entirely and an additional 90,000 having their services slashed.

SEIU members, disability, senior-citizen rights groups filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court Friday to stop 130,000 people from either being dropped or cut from California's In-Home Supportive Services program as of Nov. 1.

Nearly one hundred thousand people would be part of the group only having 'some' of their services cut--which sounds almost positive compared to those that will lose all of their in-home care, right? Except when you consider the actual breakdown of these services to be lost: food shopping, meal preparation, cleaning, and assistance and accompaniment to medical appointments. These may be defined by IHSS standards as "basic services," but being able to receive help with daily living tasks like these is the difference for frail seniors and people with disabilities between being able to stay in their homes....or having to go into nursing homes or other residential institutions.

Schwarzenegger needs remedial math class, it seems
According to Gov. Schwarzenegger, these cuts are all about balancing the budget. But how can potentially forcing 130,000 people to resort to institutional care really be cost-reducing when it's actually estimated to be four times more expensive to the state than in-home care? "A 2006 study showed that the average... public expenditure on home...based (Medicaid) services is $44,000 less than for a person receiving institutional services," stated Mitch LaPlante, leading disability researcher at the UCSF, in court papers.

Four SEIU locals whose members are IHSS caregivers and attendants are participating in the lawsuit, including SEIU UHW, SEIU ULTCW, SEIU Local 521 and CUHW, whose members are IHSS caregivers and attendants. The lawsuit alleges that IHSS cuts will violate the federal constitutional due process protections, the Medicaid Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. View filed complaint here. More at the LA Times.

San Francisco home care workers called for a hand-examination of each signed card submitted by Sal Rosselli and other ousted union officials seeking to decertify SEIU-UHW, saying they had been subjected to lies, coercion, and fraud.

Some workers were told that signing a card was the only way they could keep their union, while others were threatened that they could be deported if they did not sign. In some cases, NUHW representatives said they were from a government agency, and in still others they pressured family members and even home care consumers to sign the cards, rendering them invalid if thoroughly checked.

Workers have shared more than 1,000 stories describing how NUHW improperly collected signatures and asking to have their cards returned. NUHW's tactics are part of a pattern that emerged in Fresno earlier this year when more than a third of the cards they collected from home care workers were found to be invalid when hand checked. SEIU- UHW caught examples of these tactics on video, as described by the workers. Watch a clip of one of the home care workers here:

It's not often we get to bring you news of workers organizing to have a voice at work on such a large scale -- but today is one of those days! 13,00 home care attendants in Missouri's consumer directed home care program have voted to join the Missouri Home Care Union, a statewide union of home care attendants that's a joint local of AFSCME and SEIU.

The vote passed by a landslide margin of 85% "Yes" to 15% "No," and the election was conducted by the state Board of Mediation and was the largest of its kind in Missouri history.

In spite of the fact that home-based care is more cost-effective than institutional or nursing home care, many of the consumers in the state struggle to keep caregivers on the job--40-60% of attendants leave their positions every year. The central reason for this is that many home care attendants simply can't afford to stay at their jobs and take care of their families because they don't have health insurance benefits, sick days or vacation time.

With the number of elderly Missourians expected to rise more than 70 percent in the next twenty years, the demand for home care services will skyrocket. Which makes investing in the creation of good home care jobs to help build a stable workforce that will be able to ensure older Missourians can remain in the setting they prefer, their homes, is more important than ever.

"The next step is to join forces with consumers to make home care better and available to more Missourians," said Salem attendant Theresa Bach. Read more here.

Creating good home care jobs will help ensure quality home care and save taxpayer dollars

Placing Missouri on a path toward improved healthcare for thousands of its seniors and people with disabilities, 13,00 home care attendants in Missouri's consumer directed home care program have voted to join the Missouri Home Care Union, a statewide union of home care attendants.

The vote passed by a landslide margin of 85% Yes to 15% No.

"I'm thrilled. This is fantastic news for Missourians who need home care and for caregivers like me," said Salem attendant Theresa Bach. "The next step is to join forces with consumers to make home care better and available to more Missourians."

Home care attendants from across the state voted in the historic election through special mail-in ballot starting on June 29. The election was conducted by the state Board of Mediation and was the largest of its kind in Missouri history.

Currently, home care attendants do not have health insurance benefits, despite being caregivers themselves. They also receive no sick days or vacation time. Many of the consumers in the state struggle to keep caregivers on the job, as 40-60% of attendants leave their positions every year for jobs with benefits or higher compensation.

"This is a new day for Missouri home care, one that will go a long way toward strengthening home care by helping attendants win the pay and benefits they deserve," said Richard Blakely, Executive Director of Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independent Living. "I am honored to be on the Missouri Quality Home Care Council and look forward to working with consumers and attendants across the state to build a stronger consumer directed home care program."

The announcement is also good for Missouri taxpayers. Home-based care is more cost-effective than institutional or nursing home care. With the number of elderly Missourians expected to rise more than 70 percent in the next twenty years, the demand for home care services will skyrocket. Investing in the creation of good home care jobs will help ensure a stable workforce of reliable home caregivers is in place to meet the demand and ensure older Missourians can remain in the setting they prefer, their homes.

"With a united voice in Jefferson City, attendants will now be able to make the kind of improvements that attract and keep caregivers - and that helps people with disabilities," said consumer Marilyn Hicks of Niangua. "Missouri needs to invest in home and community based services, and now attendants will help make that happen."

In November, Missouri voters passed Proposition B by 75 percent, which created the eleven-member, consumer-led Quality Home Care Council to make it easier for people who need home care to find and keep a caregiver they can depend on. The Council will offer voluntary trainings and establish a statewide registry and backup system for times when regular caregivers are unavailable. It will negotiate with workers over wages and benefits.

Attendants from around the state available to speak with press.

Since the court has ruled against Governor Schwarzenegger and his cuts, we've made over 200 phone calls to the Governor's office, telling him to end the war on home care.

One caller, J.L., reported back after her phone call to the Gov.:

I would like the Governor to know that what he is doing is wrong and I plan to stand up for the sick and disabled. I am the caregive for 3 recipients of IHSS and without my assistance, these people wouldn't be able to live comfortably at all. Our wages should be more not less--these are peoples' very lives we are helping. My message to Arnold: Where Is your Heart??

Another caller, J.B. spoke to a woman in Schwarzenegger's office, Megan. Here's how his call went:

Megan said "you can't please everyone. Cuts across the board have been made." She implied that everyone suffers equally. I disagreed with her and stated that cuts in this area cause a disproportional amount of suffering. I suggested cuts for the State University travel budget for Professor that visit foreign countries; cuts here would be far less damaging to the citizens. Megan said the Universities are receiving cuts also.

From caller J.E.:

I cannot believe Gov. Schwarzenegger has the audactiy to cut wages of those who lovingly care for our nation's most vulnerable seniors. The seniors have loved, supported and fought for everything for us to have what we have now over all these years and it is time we did the same for them!!!

We applaud your efforts to tell the Governor his misguided policies will send California deeper into fiscal abyss. But it's not enough--we must keep the pressure on, because now the Governor and CA state officials are refusing to abide by the U.S. District Court's preliminary injunction preventing the slashing of salaries for in-home caregivers.

In light of this outrageous defiance, Judge Wilken has amended her original injunction to make it more specific: rescind approval of all IHSS wage reductions by July 14 that were scheduled to take place on July 1. The attorneys requested that the Court hold the State in contempt and issue fines and order the State to comply immediately, since it seems the Governor and state lawmakers haven't yet grasped the seriousness of illegally cutting the wages of IHSS workers who take care of our most most vulnerable citizens.

Now more than ever, we need to flood the Governor's office with calls to help put an end to the war on home care. Even if you or someone close to you is not affected by the CA Legislature's and Gov. Schwarzenegger's cuts, he needs to know how much support there is for the vital services home care workers provide to seniors and people with disabilities.

Will you take part? Please call the Governor now and tell him to put a permanent stop to these short-sighted cuts.

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction last month ordering the state of California to halt pay cuts of nearly 20 percent -- from $12.10 an hour down to $9.50 -- for the state's 400,000 home care workers. The injunction, issued by federal judge Claudia Wilken, has the effect of stopping pay cuts in all California counties that were planning on passing the state cut through to their home care workers, beginning on July 1, 2009.

Sounds like a pretty cut-and-dry ruling...until you remember that you're dealing with Governor Schwarzenegger, who apparently stands above the law [unless he's the one making it]. The Governor and CA state officials are refusing to abide by Judge Wilken's preliminary injunction preventing the slashing of salaries for in-home caregivers. SEIU is fighting back by filing a motion in U.S. District Court, asking the court to hold the State in contempt for illegally cutting the wages of IHSS workers in defiance of the earlier court order.

Since Judge Wilken's ruling, numerous counties have submitted requests to reinstate IHSS worker pay--but State officials are claiming that they need 60 days to process the requests. "Instead of honoring the court's decision and keeping our pay as it is, the State is dragging its feet, making up excuses, and placing this lifeline service in jeopardy," said Mary Harms, a Contra Costa County home care worker.

The Governor vowed again last week, in a brief question and answer period from reporters, that he would not sign any budget deal that included any tax increases, saying "I made this very real clear that I will never sign a budget with tax increases or extra fees or other kind of trickery that is proposed. I will not a budget that is a partial budget - we want to address the entire $26 billion - we want to do it making the necessary cuts and also getting rid of the waste and abuse that is going on within those programs." Most people--myself included--would not qualify providing social services for people who need it, like the elderly or persons with disabilities--as a "waste" of the state's budget.

Speaker of the House Karen Bass said last week of Schwarzenegger: "I do believe he is completely overstating it and making IHSS as though it is some huge part of the budget, when it is actually 1.5 % of the state budget...the IHSS program saves money in the long run because it prevents people from being in nursing homes. What shouldn't we be wasting any of, in Speaker Bass's opinion? Time. "I just believe that we really don't have any time to waste - and what is most important that we close the deficit. The issue of reforms are critical - but we can begin the reform process the day after the budget revision is signed." Please call the Governor now and tell him: "Home care not only saves money, it saves lives. We need a common sense budget that protects home care."

In yesterday's "Fair Pay for Caregivers," the New York Times editorial team urged the Department of Labor to change the regulation within the Fair Labor Standards Act that classifies home care workers as "companions," making them exempt from minimum wage protections and overtime pay. Citing the hard work and critical role they play with an aging boomer population, the NY Times editorial declares that "Home care aides should not have to wait any longer for the fair pay they have been denied for so long."

It's been over two years since the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the 1974 interpretation of the FLSA law ("Long Island Care at Home v. Coke"), denying home care workers a living wage and overtime compensation. That definition of the law essentially put the teenager who occasionally watches your kids on the same level with a worker trained to provide full-time and long term care for seniors and disabled persons with essential care needs. Under a new administration, this ruling did give the Labor Department--not the court--the right to change that interpretation under a new administration. However, more than two years later, the regulation still stands.

Sadly, one of the women who played a leading role in the fight for increased wages and paid overtime for in-home care aides, Mrs. Evelyn Coke, passed away today. Ms. Coke was the plaintiff in the "Long Island Care at Home v. Coke" case challenging the "companionship exemption" for home care workers. Read more about Mrs. Coke in the New York Times article highlighting her struggle for justice and a fair wage.

Support to extend federal overtime and minimum-wage requirements to home care workers--a growing labor force that earns average hourly wages lower than that of all other jobs in healthcare--has been increased in recent months. In June, a group of 15 Senators led by Senator Harkins (D-IA) sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis advocating for the Department of Labor to expand federal wage and hour laws to the estimated 1.5 million home care workers in the U.S.

"In the three decades since the exemption was created, the numbers of home care workers and their responsibilities have expanded dramatically as the population has aged and more and more people are choosing long-term care services in their homes rather than in institution," reads the letter sent to the DOL.

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction last week ordering the state of California to halt pay cuts of nearly 20 percent -- from $12.10 an hour down to $9.50 -- for the state's 400,000 home care workers. This ruling is big news for home care workers and those they care for, as it will temporarily stop the cuts that were to go into effect July 1st in those counties at risk.

There's a war being waged against home care, and Governor Schwarzenegger is leading the call. We can celebrate this initial victory, but this injunction will not stop the Governor from trying to cut home care again. CA State Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer has made this much clear, saying that the Schwarzenegger administration "can't imagine a legal interpretation that would prevent the state from moving forward to implement [the proposed cuts to home care]."

It's up to us to keep the pressure on. Now that a court has ruled against the Governor and his cuts, we need to ask him to reverse course on these short-sighted cuts.
Please call the Governor now and tell him: "Home care not only saves money, it saves lives. We need a common sense budget that protects home care:"

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction last week ordering the state of California to halt pay cuts of nearly 20 percent -- from $12.10 an hour down to $9.50 -- for the state's 400,000 home care workers. This ruling is big news for home care workers and those they care for, as it will temporarily stop the cuts that were to go into effect July 1st in those counties at risk.

There's a war being waged against home care, and Governor Schwarzenegger is leading the call. We can celebrate this initial victory, but this injunction will not stop the Governor from trying to cut home care again. CA State Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer has made this much clear, saying that the Schwarzenegger administration "can't imagine a legal interpretation that would prevent the state from moving forward to implement [the proposed cuts to home care]."

It's up to us to keep the pressure on. Now that a court has ruled against the Governor and his cuts, we need to ask him to reverse course on these short-sighted cuts.
Please call the Governor now and tell him: "Home care not only saves money, it saves lives. We need a common sense budget that protects home care:"

Home care aides in Wisconsin are celebrating a new state budget signed yesterday by Gov. Jim Doyle that includes breakthrough improvements for home care workers and their clients.

Currently, many families in Wisconsin have difficulty finding experienced home care aides on their own, as their only resources to do so are by recruiting through classified ads or community bulletin boards. The new budget sets up the Wisconsin Quality Home Care Authority (WQHCA), which will create a registry to aid seniors in finding qualified independent home care workers, provide training to caregivers, and allow workers to choose whether to unite as a union.

The improvements give approximately 5,000 home care workers in Wisconsin the freedom to unite with SEIU.

HUGE news for home care workers and those they care for. In response to SEIU lawsuit, a U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction Thursday afternoon ordering the state of California to halt a proposed $2 cut in wages for the state's 400,000 home care workers.

The injunction has the effect of stopping pay cuts in all California counties that were planning on passing the state cut through to their home care workers.

The injunction, issued by federal judge Claudia Wilken, was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has 250,000 home care members in California. The lawsuit alleges the wage cut violates the federal Medicaid Law, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act.

"This ruling is bringing hope to hundreds of thousands of home care consumers and workers all across the state," said Mary Harms, a home care worker in Contra Costa County. "We had no choice but to ask the court to help us after the governor and legislature let everyone down and put so many people in danger."

The enjoined state budget cuts would have slashed homecare workers' wages to as low as $9.50 an hour. The wage cuts would have forced thousands of homecare providers to leave their employment to seek living-wage jobs, forcing frail seniors and people with disabilities to enter nursing homes or other residential institutions.

HUGE news for home care workers and those they care for. In response to SEIU lawsuit, a U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction Thursday afternoon ordering the state of California to halt a proposed $2 cut in wages for the state's 400,000 home care workers.

The injunction has the effect of stopping pay cuts in all California counties that were planning on passing the state cut through to their home care workers.

The injunction, issued by federal judge Claudia Wilken, was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has 250,000 home care members in California. The lawsuit alleges the wage cut violates the federal Medicaid Law, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act.

"This ruling is bringing hope to hundreds of thousands of home care consumers and workers all across the state," said Mary Harms, a home care worker in Contra Costa County. "We had no choice but to ask the court to help us after the governor and legislature let everyone down and put so many people in danger."

The enjoined state budget cuts would have slashed homecare workers' wages to as low as $9.50 an hour. The wage cuts would have forced thousands of homecare providers to leave their employment to seek living-wage jobs, forcing frail seniors and people with disabilities to enter nursing homes or other residential institutions.

The votes were counted last week in an important union election among 10,000 home care workers in Fresno County, California. Now that the dust is settled, here is more detail about what the Fresno home care election victory signifies--and what it means going forward.

The votes were counted last week in an important union election among 10,000 home care workers in Fresno County, California. Now that the dust is settled, here is more detail about what the Fresno home care election victory signifies--and what it means going forward.

On Friday, after two weeks of vigorous campaigning, 10,000 Fresno County home care workers voted to stand united with SEIU UHW. The ballots were counted by the federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. "Their votes speak loudly that SEIU UHW members want a strong, united union so that together they can build a better future for themselves and the consumers they serve," said SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina.

Read more about the election victory.

On Friday, after two weeks of vigorous campaigning, 10,000 Fresno County home care workers voted to stand united with SEIU UHW. The ballots were counted by the federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. "Their votes speak loudly that SEIU UHW members want a strong, united union so that together they can build a better future for themselves and the consumers they serve," said SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina.

Read more about the election victory.