The final day of negotiating proved to be the most successful for SEIU home care workers who reached a tentative agreement with the State of Minnesota early Friday morning.
According to SEIU, the deal covers 20,000 care workers statewide and could bring a 48 percent wage increase wage increase and brings a wage increase for new workers from $15.25 to $20 per hour by 2025.
“Wages really is the cornerstone as we are looking for help,” said SEIU Home Care Minnesota member Kerry Adelmann. “I’m a family caregiver and so obviously I can’t walkout on this job. Somebody I care about a lot depends on me to show up every day. It would be great to have some help and we have tried. But with the wages as low as they’ve been, it’s been impossible.”
Adelmann, who has cared for her disabled son for the last seven years, believes raising wages will open the door for home care workers in an exciting way.
“For people who want to do this work,” Adelmann said. “For people who have a heart to do this work but haven’t been able to because the income just wasn’t enough to sustain themselves or families.”
Members still need to vote on the deal, which includes:
· A $3.75 (25%) wage increase to $19 per hour for all workers in 2024
· An additional increase to $20 per hour (a 31% increase over the current wage floor) in 2025
· The establishment for the first time of a wage scale rewarding home care workers for their years of experience, bringing long-time caregivers up to as much as $22.50 per hour (a 48% increase over the current wage floor) in 2025
· A one-time $1,000 retention bonus for any worker who has provided home care for six months or longer, beginning in July 2023
· A long overdue professionalization of the home care workforce through the establishment of an orientation program for new caregivers
If approved by members, the agreement would head to to the legislature for their approval and funding. The final step would be having an appropriations bill signed by Governor Walz and go into effect July 1, 2023.
“I’m really excited about the way we call came together, it truly was a beautiful thing,” added Adelmann. “It was a 20 hour marathon, but it’s nothing compared to the gains and changes that will come about in this career field as a result. We’re really grateful for the people who were a part in making it happen.”
