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Nursing home and home care providers rallied outside the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' office Tuesday, demanding a $20 an hour living wage.
Homecare worker Stephanie Rogers, who was at the "Time for $20" rally, said the current wage of $16 an hour is not enough to support her and her family because of post-pandemic price increases.
California is too expensive and Stephanie Rogers is saying it out loud. For care providers, the pay needs to go up! #Timefor20 pic.twitter.com/yJz9GwugdZ
— SEIU Local 2015 (@SEIU2015) April 5, 2022
“The price of living, and our economy, goes up consistently all the time," Rogers said. "So how come our wage stays the same? We're not going to be able to pay our rent, phone bills, put food on the table. Something is going to be lacking.”
The protest was organized by SEIU Local 2015, which said there's a "crisis" in the long-term care industry.
In a statement, the union said more than 30% of home care providers work multiple jobs to make ends meet, even though many are already working full-time as caregivers.
It added that one in five home caregivers are likely to leave their jobs in the coming year because of a lack of financial security.
"In-home supportive service providers care for the most vulnerable residents in our community, but are not provided with the pay or benefits reflective of the critical work they do every day, which has resulted in an exodus of workers from the long-term care industry," said April Verrett, president of Local 2015.
The protest comes after a large group of L.A. County employees took to the streets last week in downtown L.A. demanding better wages, benefits and more.
