Homecare Workers Labor Relations

Several hundred home-care workers demonstrated Friday outside the County Hall of Administration downtown, demanding that county officials recognize Service Employees International Union Local 434 as their legal bargaining representative. Union officials then presented county officials with cards they said had been signed by 12,000 home-care workers authorizing the union to represent them.

Hundreds of government-paid home-care workers and their clients--including some in wheelchairs--marched through downtown Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon to underscore their demands for a substantial raise and health insurance. Wearing purple T-shirts and chanting "No justice, no peace," the demonstrators were clearly borrowing tactics from the successful janitors' strike of last month, which featured boisterous daily marches.

A labor union's fight to organize and secure a collective bargaining agreement for 50,000 home health care workers, who are paid by the state but supervised by Los Angeles County officials, lost a crucial round Thursday when a judge ruled that the workers cannot be considered county employees.

A year after celebrating the largest union victory in recent U.S. history, 74,000 Los Angeles home-care workers are only marginally better off, with wages up a mere 50 cents an hour and health insurance still nowhere in sight. The landmark vote by Los Angeles care providers in February 1999 boosted union membership in the county by 10%, and was hailed by national labor leaders as proof that organizing low-wage, immigrant and minority workers can pay off in big numbers.

A year after celebrating the largest union victory in recent U.S. history, 74,000 Los Angeles home-care workers are only marginally better off, with wages up a mere 50 cents an hour and health insurance still nowhere in sight. The landmark vote by Los Angeles care providers in February 1999 boosted union membership in the county by 10%, and was hailed by national labor leaders as proof that organizing low-wage, immigrant and minority workers can pay off in big numbers.

The Service Employees International Union said Saturday that it had achieved "a major victory" in its efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement with Los Angeles County covering 40,000 low-paid home health-care workers. Kirk Adams, chief union organizer in the home care campaign, said county officials had agreed to begin talks over wages and benefits for workers.

Mary Burse can hardly remember when she first met Georgia Logan, only that it was about 30 years ago on a Sunday. Back in the days when Logan was the newest member of Zion Baptist Church in Compton, and Burse was a young congregation member who wanted to make her feel welcome. They taught Sunday School together, and after Burse was in a bad automobile accident 15 years ago, Logan helped her back to health, deepening their friendship.

In the largest union election in modern U.S. history, Los Angeles County home-care workers voted nearly 10 to 1 to join the Service Employees International Union, according to a count released by state mediation officials Thursday night.

Hundreds of government-paid home-care workers and their clients--including some in wheelchairs--marched through downtown Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon to underscore their demands for a substantial raise and health insurance. Wearing purple T-shirts and chanting "No justice, no peace," the demonstrators were clearly borrowing tactics from the successful janitors' strike of last month, which featured boisterous daily marches.

In the largest union election in modern U.S. history, Los Angeles County home-care workers voted nearly 10 to 1 to join the Service Employees International Union, according to a count released by state mediation officials Thursday night.

Mary Burse can hardly remember when she first met Georgia Logan, only that it was about 30 years ago on a Sunday. Back in the days when Logan was the newest member of Zion Baptist Church in Compton, and Burse was a young congregation member who wanted to make her feel welcome. They taught Sunday School together, and after Burse was in a bad automobile accident 15 years ago, Logan helped her back to health, deepening their friendship.

A labor union's fight to organize and secure a collective bargaining agreement for 50,000 home health care workers, who are paid by the state but supervised by Los Angeles County officials, lost a crucial round Thursday when a judge ruled that the workers cannot be considered county employees.

The Service Employees International Union said Saturday that it had achieved "a major victory" in its efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement with Los Angeles County covering 40,000 low-paid home health-care workers. Kirk Adams, chief union organizer in the home care campaign, said county officials had agreed to begin talks over wages and benefits for workers.

Several hundred home-care workers demonstrated Friday outside the County Hall of Administration downtown, demanding that county officials recognize Service Employees International Union Local 434 as their legal bargaining representative. Union officials then presented county officials with cards they said had been signed by 12,000 home-care workers authorizing the union to represent them.