Historic Victory: Missouri Home Care Attendants Choose AFSCME – Again!
May 07, 2010
VICTORY AT LAST! – Missouri home care attendants celebrate their vote this month to join with the Missouri Home Care Union. Standing at the podium is attendant Jeanetta Caw with her consumer, Janet Wilson (green shirt). Others are (from far left) consumers Clarence Mitchell and Bob Pund; and Lara Granich, director of Missouri Jobs with Justice. (Photo credit: Lloyd Grotjan)
Approximately 12,000 home care attendants throughout Missouri have voted overwhelmingly to gain dignity and respect for the work they do – and to improve the lives of those in their care – through the Missouri Home Care Union.
In one of the nation’s largest union elections in recent years, the Missouri home care attendants joined others in more than 10 other states – including California, Iowa and Maryland – who have united to improve the quality of care available to the consumers of their services.
“This is a great day for me and my consumer,” says attendant Jeanetta Caw of St. Joseph. “And it comes not a minute too soon with more budget cuts threatening our important service. This election victory brings together thousands of attendants and our consumers to give a more powerful voice to protect home care.”
Attendant Elinor Simmons of St. Louis adds, “When we stopped the cuts, we showed what we can do when we come together. Now with today’s victory, we’re even stronger in our fight to save quality home care.”
“Thousands of Missouri families rely on home care workers to help their loved ones live independent lives,” adds AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee. “We will use our combined voices to fight unnecessary cuts that threaten quality home care services.”
The vote represents the second time the attendants in the Consumer Directed Services program have declared their intent to be represented by the Missouri Home Care Union, an affiliate of AFSCME Council 72. Although they voted overwhelmingly to join the union in July 2009, their ballots were immediately challenged in court by Integra Health Care Inc., based in Springfield, Mo.
Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem temporarily blocked certification of the vote pending resolution of the legal dispute. Last December, Cole County Senior Judge Byron Kinder dismissed the lawsuit and ordered a new election.
The results of the new election were announced May 5.
Home care attendants make it possible for the elderly and disabled to live with dignity in their own homes, or the homes of the providers themselves. Through the Missouri Home Care Union – a partnership between AFSCME and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – the providers will gain power to negotiate for improvements in the state’s consumer-directed Home Care Program, and to reverse issues such as lack of having health insurance, or paid sick and vacation days.
With the addition of the Missouri attendants, AFSCME now represents approximately 95,000 independent home care providers nationwide.
Read the story behind the creation of the Missouri Home Care Union in this story from AFSCME WORKS. Also, read more about their election victory from the Associated Press and KOMU TV.
