The Direct Care News 
For direct care workers and their allies June 26, 2012
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Supreme Court Health Care Ruling Expected Soon
|  Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court held three days of hearings focused on challenges to the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, the health care bill informally referred to as Obamacare. Millions of Americans will be affected by the Court's ruling on the Act, which is expected this week.
Direct care workers have a lot at stake. Approximately 900,000 direct care workers are currently without health insurance, which limits their access to affordable health care for themselves and, in many cases, their families. Recent estimates show that nearly 1 in 5 direct care workers depend on Medicaid. Several components of the ACA can benefit direct care workers. Read more.
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Direct from Washington, DC
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Supreme Court rules on Arizona immigration law: The U.S. Supreme Court announced its ruling yesterday to strike down three provisions of the Arizona immigration law (S.B. 1070). The Court invalidated portions of the law that would have made it illegal for undocumented immigrants to seek employment and that would have authorized warrantless arrests of individuals whom state and local police suspect of committing deportable offenses. The Court upheld the part of the law that allows the state to require law enforcement officials to demand proof of legal status from any individual suspected to be an undocumented immigrant. This ruling could be detrimental to the direct care workforce, since a significant portion of the workforce is born outside the U.S.A. and foreign-born direct care workers are more likely to be subjected to random requests for proof of legal immigration status by law enforcement officers. Learn more about the ruling.
Bill addresses workers' rights to fight discrimination: Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act, which, if passed into law, will protect workers' rights to fight systemic workplace discrimination. Learn more about the Act and the history of the issue.
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| Let's Help DOL Help Home Care Workers |
 | | Secretary Solis |
Last Friday, I had the honor of attending a forum hosted by the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) Women's Bureau on behalf of the Florida Professional Association of Care Givers and the DCA. It was a great opportunity to tell them what direct care workers in Florida are experiencing and thank some of the people who are working to extend basic labor protections to home care workers.
The occasion was the first in a series of Working for Working Women events. Hilda L. Solis, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, delivered a truly inspiring keynote speech. I was moved by her dedication to addressing the labor issues that women are facing, and to driving changes that will have a significant positive impact on working women nationwide.
I was particularly delighted to see the important role of direct care workers and the need to revise the Fair Labor Standards Act's companionship exemption highlighted as an important issue. DCA's very own Tracy Dudzinski was one of several caregivers featured in a powerful video that demonstrated the difficulties faced by home care workers. Read more from Joan Leah and sign our petition.
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