The inspirational victory of Los Angeles home care workers led the way to some 450,000 home caregivers uniting with SEIU since 1996. By 2010, SEIU had 500,000 home care members working in nine states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington. La victoire des fournisseurs de soins à domicile à Los Angeles a ouvert le chemin à 450 000 travailleurs du même métier qui ont rejoint SEIU de 1996 à aujourd'hui. En 2010, SEIU compte 500 000 fournisseurs de soins à domicile dans 9 états: Californie, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, et Washington.

1. Home Care Workers Win Contract Gains
e inspirational victory of Los Angeles home care SEIU represented about 24,000 independent provider
workers led the way to some 450,000 home caregivers unit- home care workers in Illinois in 2010 and another 11,675
ing with SEIU since 1996. By 2010, SEIU had 500,000 agency home care workers—82 percent of all home care
home care members working in nine states: California, Il- workers in the state. IP workers won a 33 percent increase
linois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, in wages in their rst contract and a 24 percent gain in their
Oregon, and Washington. second, which brought wages to $11.55 per hour in 2010.
Most worked as “independent providers” employed After a long campaign that involved outreach to build
by the consumers themselves, rather than through private a robust coalition, about 42,000 Michigan home care aides
agencies. About 40 percent of all independent provider united in SEIU in 2005. With a creative grassroots cam-
home care workers in the United States belonged to SEIU as paign, workers won wage increases of up to 55 percent.
of 2010. It took home care workers in Massachusetts two years
In 2006 home care aides who had formed unions re- to secure state legislation allowing collective bargaining in
ceived wages at least 10 percent their sector. Some 22,000 caregivers in the Bay State chose
HOMECARE higher than those who had not to unite in SEIU in 2007, and by 2010 about 68 percent of
WORKERS and experts estimate that di er- all home care workers in Massachusetts were represented by
ORGANIZED ential widened through 2009. SEIU. Wages prior to bargaining had averaged $10.84 per
Number Union home care aides were hour, but rose to $12.48 in 2010 under the SEIU contract.
Year
Organized almost twice as likely to have Home care workers in Ohio persuaded the governor
1996 8,826 health insurance as their non- there to issue an executive order that paved the way for 7,000
1997 4,016 union counterparts and more to unite in SEIU. ey bargained directly with the state and
1998 7,872 than twice as likely to have some are the highest-paid home care workers in the nation.
1999 82,754 type of pension or retirement SEIU won big gains in the Northwest as well. e
plan. union represents about 13,000 home care aides in Oregon
2000 17,222
In California, there were who won pay gains of 10 percent, health insurance with
2001 23,801
more than 270,000 home care dental and vision coverage, workers’ compensation, and
2002 67,528
workers in 31 counties in 2010, paid time o in their rst contract.
2003 15,585 with 78 percent of all home care In Washington State, home caregivers advocated and
2004 10,111 workers belonging to SEIU. passed a ballot initiative in 2001 that allowed them to form
2005 64,171 Union home care workers in a union in 2002. By 2010, about 31,000 independent pro-
2006 5,852 Santa Clara County received viders and 8,000 agency home care aides in Washington be-
2007 42,108 50 percent more in wages than longed to SEIU—73 percent of all home care workers in the
2008 8,385 nonunion independent provider state. Since they unionized, those workers have won a 40
home care workers there. percent increase in wages.90
2009 2,733