"These workers ensure that seniors and the disabled in our community can continue to live safely and securely in their homes. In return we should ensure that their pension continues to be secure for when they retire," said Pam Aguilar, Executive Director of the Central Labor Council. "We are serious about the importance of providing a pension and our Labor community will hold our Supervisors accountable on this."

The resolution was approved by all of the Council delegates, approximately two dozen people representing the full, diverse Labor Council, and will be sent to all five members of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

"We appreciate the Central Labor Council's support. We care deeply about our clients, but for some of my colleagues, it is increasingly difficult financially to be a home care worker. It has been a hard fight to get what little pension we have. Now after eight years of having the pension, the Supervisors are willing to pay $2 million dollars to buy us out. We only get a low wage, minimum healthcare for providers, and a very small pension," said Mary Harms, a Contra Costa County home care provider.

Below is the full text of the resolution:

WHEREAS, the Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County defends and supports the contractual standards won by our affiliated Locals, and

WHEREAS, a common standard is a pension plan and other benefits which allow working people to retire with greater dignity, and

WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is now supporting their Public Authority's attempt to terminate the pension plan for County In-Home Support Service providers, and

WHEREAS, these IHSS providers, at $11.50 per hour and no paid time off at all, receive the lowest compensation of any workers paid with County funds, and

WHEREAS, a large percentage of IHSS providers receive no Social Security benefit from their vital work, and

WHEREAS, the IHSS program in our County is extremely cost-effective, allowing provider clients and family members to maintain their own residences and avoid the much greater financial and social cost of nursing home or hospital admission, and

WHEREAS, it would cost the County an estimated $2 million to terminate the IHSS pension program, and

WHEREAS, an attack on retirement benefits for these workers represents an attack on pension and other retiree benefits for all public and private sector workers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County strongly urges our County Board of Supervisors to order the Public Authority to withdraw their contract proposal terminating the pension plan for IHSS providers; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that a Supervisor seen in support of terminating the pension for IHSS providers will not receive the endorsement of this Council.

SEIU - United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU-UHW) is the largest hospital and healthcare union in the western United States with more than 150,000 members. We unite every type of healthcare worker with a mission to achieve high-quality healthcare for all. SEIU-UHW is part of the 2.1 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the nation's fastest-growing union. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.

Source: SEIU-UHW