On September 4th, Homecare and Personal Support Workers all across the country participated in the “Homecare Day of Action” to raise the profile of frontline care providers. State Homecare and Personal Support Workers provide long-term care supports directly in people’s homes. We have been on the frontline of the pandemic, staying vulnerable to the Coronavirus while providing supports to our most at risk communities.
Homecare Workers are overwhelming women, who make up 87% of the workforce, and more than half are women of color. We are low-wage workers who are one of the most important pieces of our healthcare system, and we deserve respect and resources. It is time that this country shifts its priorities to help Homecare and Personal Support Workers and the consumers we care for.
To start this Labor Day Weekend, Homecare Workers in Portland did a “banner drop” where they tied a banner to the Cesar Chavez bridge overlooking Interstate-84 with the message “Homecare is Essential,” so workers could see it on their afternoon commute. Care providers held signs reminding passersby that we are an essential piece of both the labor movement and the infrastructure fighting the pandemic, and we need to be considered when making policy decisions.
In Salem, care workers went directly to the capitol, holding signs and stringing a banner that read “we are essential workers and we matter.” They marched through the streets, chanting and spreading the message that Homecare Workers need to see changes in public policy so that we can care for our families and stay safe. In Douglas County, care providers came together to hold signs and banners and show that we are a united front, fighting for fair wages and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. In Bend, care providers raised the connection between the situation for care providers and the Movement for Black Lives, discussing how connected we are in the fight for justice.
We were not alone, care providers took action across the country to change the view of our industry. In Virginia, the Governor recognized September 4th, 2020 as Homecare Day, in recognition of the fight for safe working conditions and living wages for care providers. The same move was made in New York State, where care providers with SEIU Local 1199 celebrated with public shows of support. Massachusetts also declared it Homecare Day, all part of a sweeping change in priorities that comes directly from the collective action Homecare Workers are taking. These decisions from state leaders come after Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden already released his care priority plan, which shows that he is putting care providers front and center when making tough healthcare decisions.
What we did locally is a part of a nationwide fight, one that will take all of us working together. We are a powerful union, and when we stick together and fight for a common objective, we can win. That is what the Homecare Day of Action was all about, and it is what is going to change things in the coming years.
Supporters around Oregon having been signing our pledge to show their support for care providers, will you sign it to?
Click here to sign the pledge and support care providers!