Sacramento – Three Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California locals representing home care workers -  SEIU ULTCW-United Long Term Care Workers' Union,  SEIU-UHW United Healthcare Workers West, and SEIU Local 521  released the following joint statement today after Governor Schwarzenegger made public his threats to eliminate home care that enables 400,000 seniors and people with disabilities to live independently:

“Because of Governor Schwarzenegger, 2009 has been the bleakest year in recent memory for California seniors and people with disabilities.  He’s led the drive to cut vital homecare hours for our most vulnerable residents and slash homecare provider wages to just minimum wage.  Now, as we approach 2010, he's threatening to dismantle the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program all together - an action that would result in complete economic and humanitarian disaster.  

“Dismantling the homecare program would result in 450,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities losing the cost-effective, lifeline services they need to remain safely and independently in their homes.  And at a time when the Governor is promising "jobs, jobs, jobs," eliminating IHSS would put an additional 350,000 Californians out of work.  Given that IHSS is on average four times less expensive than institutional care, the governor's insistence on taking aim at this program that actually saves California taxpayer’s money defies reality and contributes significantly to California’s budget turmoil.

“While the Governor is right to pursue more federal funding, using our most vulnerable residents and those who provide them with essential, daily care as leverage for this funding is deplorable.”


SEIU California is a coalition of over 700,000 janitors, social workers, security officers, home care workers, school and university employees, healthcare workers, and city, county and state employees represented by SEIU local unions throughout California. We come together to build a better California by fighting to pass policies and elect candidates that benefit working families and advance the issues we care about: affordable healthcare, good wages, retirement security for all, a healthy environment, good schools and universities, and stronger communities. We believe that by working together we can build a California where working families can thrive again.