Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 | 2 a.m.
I provide home care for a wonderful woman in her 80s, and every day she expresses her appreciation. We’ve bonded deeply and she says she would be lost without me. And yet, for my essential work, I get paid just $11.50 per hour.
Poverty-level wages have not only hurt home care workers but have also made it increasingly difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to find caregivers. This crisis spurred me and my fellow home care workers to start mobilizing a few years ago, and together we won a historic $16 minimum wage and 42% funding increase in the latest state budget. And recently, over 1,000 caregivers across Nevada have voted or are heading toward union elections in one of the biggest organizing drives in recent history, so we have a united voice to keep fixing the broken system. Our movement reflects the wider, soaring support for unions among working Americans throughout the country.
I’ve been a home care worker for over 20 years. During that time, I’ve cared for dozens of clients, enabling them to live at home with health and comfort, instead of being sent to a nursing home. I’ve helped them get out of bed in the morning, bathe and get dressed. I’ve taken them to doctor appointments and reminded them to take their medications on time.
With my current client, I do her grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions and cook her...
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