Direct Care News: Paid sick days movement wins major victory in NYC

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For direct care workers and their allies

April 2, 2013

Paid Sick Days Movement Wins Major Victory in New York City

The movement to win paid sick leave for the nation's workers won a major victory in New York City last week, when an agreement was reached on a bill that would require all employers in the city with at least 15 employees to give their full-time workers five paid sick days a year. A similar victory was just won in Portland, Oregon, and the Philadelphia city council recently passed a paid sick days bill. Read more.

Direct from Washington, D.C.

DCA Supports Healthy Families Act: Direct Care Alliance has signed a coalition letter to the U.S. Congress in support of the Healthy Families Act (S.631/H.R.1286), which calls for a national paid sick days standard. The Act was re-introduced in Congress last month. Paid sick days are important for direct care workers, whose typically low wages and high rates of chronic conditions and job-related injuries make it crucial to be able to address their own health needs without worrying about losing wages or losing their jobs--not to mention risking the health and safety of those they care for.

Increased Access to Affordable Health Care Coming Soon in Many States: As part of the Affordable Care Act (also known as ACA, health care reform and Obamacare), states can use federal funds to expand their Medicaid programs, which provide low-income Americans with crucial access to affordable health care. Many states have committed to expanding Medicaid, others have announced they will not, and still others are still undecided. Learn more about Medicaid, whether your state is expanding Medicaid and how the ACA affects direct care workers.

What Being a Professional Caregiver Means to Me

Gertude Hii

Like a lot of other direct care workers, I found my way to my career through caring for a member of my own family.

Three years ago, my husband was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and entered into hospice care. Three times a week, a certified nursing assistant would come give him a shower or bed bath and then sit with him for half an hour or so, chatting and giving him the love and attention he so needed to brighten his days. He looked forward to their visits, and I could not imagine how we would have coped without them.

One day, a CNA was giving him a bed bath when it came to me: I could do this. Read more from Gertrude Hii.

Quick Links

Direct from the Headlines

DCA's Jessica Brill Ortiz will be on the panel next Tuesday for a webinar titled Improving Career Opportunities for Immigrant Women In-Home Care Workers: Developments and Challenges. Learn more and register.

Want to tell President Obama to give home care workers the mininum wage and overtime pay he promised? Sign this letter.

A "Peace Corps for caregiving" could not replace professional direct care workers, but could it fill in some gaps?

It's hard for home care workers to make ends meet in California on about $10 an hour, give or take.

Seniors-only apartments create a sense of community not just for residents but for the home care workers who assist them.

The Direct Care Alliance is the national advocacy voice of direct care workers in long-term care. We empower workers to speak out for better wages, benefits, respect, and working conditions, so more people can commit to direct care as a career. We also convene powerful allies nationwide to build consensus for change.

If you have comments on this issue of The Direct Care News or ideas for future issues, please contact Elise Nakhnikian at 646-823-7434, enakhnikian@directcarealliance.org.