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UDW Bill to Prohibit Duplicate Background Checks Passed by Senate Committee

 AB 1763, a  UDW-sponsored bill that would ensure that an IHSS provider is not required to repeat (and pay for) a background check if he or she is working in more than one county, was passed by the Senate Public Safety Committee yesterday (June 29) and heads to Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Ted Lieu (Democrat – Torrance, 53rd Assembly District),  passed out of the Assembly on June 3rd by a vote of 54 to 22. Read the rest of this entry »

Federal Judge Blocks IHSS Worker Wage Cut in Fresno County

SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 06/29/2010  03:45 PM  (Pacific Time)] -  A federal district court judge in Oakland this afternoon blocked Fresno County from implementing an hourly wage  cut to their In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers from $10.25 to $8 per hour, that was scheduled to go into effect on July.  The action by the federal court represents at least a temporary victory for thousands of IHSS workers and people with disabilities, mental health needs, the blind and seniors in Fresno County who receive services under the IHSS program.

(“Hopefully, this will serve as a warning to supervisors in UDW counties who might be considering similar cutbacks, ” said UDW President Laura Reyes.) Read the rest of this entry »

CDCAN report on continuing state budget crisis

No Budget Conference Committee Hearings Scheduled – No Budget Agreement Near

State Will Begin New Budget Year Without New Budget – Legislative Leaders and Governor Will Begin Holding Budget Talks – AB 1629 Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee Stakeholder Conference Call and Meeting By Department of Health Care Services July 1st Thursday Morning 9 – 10 AM Read the rest of this entry »

Disability activists in Berkeley: “End the Fear & Harassment!”

Arnieville’s Back, Better than Ever  –
 The Berkeley Daily Planet

Arnieville returned to Berkeley on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 with official opening ceremonies at precisely 5 p.m.  Musical entertainment marked the “resurrection” of Arnieville and the renewal of disability activists’ protests against state budget cuts to senior and disability services.   The encampment is named in memory of the Hoovervilles which sprang up in the Great Depression.  Read the rest of this entry »

UDW Scores Big Victory at AFSCME Convention

 Visit AFSCME Convention Website
 See UDW photos

Lee Saunders, UDW’s choice for AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer, won a hotly contested election Thursday at the union’s 39th International Convention in Boston. Saunders, Executive Assistant to International President Gerald W. McEntee, received 652,660 votes. Danny Donohue, President of CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000 (NY) received 648,356 votes, while Mark Foley, President of Local 2019, California Council 57, received 1,489 votes.

While awaiting the results of the AFSCME Secretary Treasurer election Thursday, the delegates heard stirring speeches from nationally syndicated talk show host Ed Schultz and Democratic political consultant Donna Brazile. (Ms. Brazile was introduced to the delegates by UDW President and AFSCME International Vice President Laura Reyes.)   … Read the rest of this entry »

URGENT: More Good News on Provider Enrollment as Deadline Looms

Latest reports from the field show that we’re making great progress in getting IHSS providers to begin the new enrollment process by June 30. With less than a week to go, reports indicate that fewer than 1,500 current IHSS Providers have not begun the process.  They must begin the process by June 30 and complete it by December 31 in order to continue being paid.    Read the rest of this entry »

Latest IHSS Requirements for Providers

Here’s the latest news from CDSS on the requirements for IHSS providers. Letters have been sent by CDSS to  approximately 100,000 providers and consumers. Read the rest of this entry »

Lawsuit to Stop Reduction of IHSS Services Reaches U.S. Appeals Court

A UDW-backed lawsuit challenging last year’s reductions of  IHSS services based upon Functional Index (FI) scores was recently heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.  Click here to listen to the hearing.  Read the rest of this entry »

Revised Emergency Aid Bill Would Protect Federal IHSS Funding; U.S. Senate Vote Set for Friday

A modified jobs bill, containing funding for IHSS and other health programs, will be voted on by the U.S. Senate on Friday. The new proposal was introduced Wednesday after the Senate refused to consider a larger bill that would have provided nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments, including funding for IHSS.

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Home Care Advocates Continue Fight Against Budget Cuts in Federal Appeals Court

Published in The Californian, June 15 2010.  By Thu Phan

Yesterday as the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard a case that is critical to our ability to live independently, I joined dozens of other people with disabilities, low-income seniors, and our caregivers to keep up the fight for safe, quality home care.  Read the rest of this entry »

President Obama Pushes for FMAP Money: Contact Your Senators

President Obama urged reluctant lawmakers Saturday to quickly approve nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments (which would include funding for IHSS), saying the money is needed to avoid “massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters” and to support the still-fragile economic recovery. Read the rest of this entry »

Speaker makes his case against Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal

In response to Desert Sun inquiries, Assembly Speaker John Pérez provided this assessment of the governor’s budget proposals.  More job loss: In total, the governor’s budget eliminates more than 430,000 private-sector, school and local government jobs. Cutting jobs, as outlined below, make chances of a strong jobs recovery much worse. Read the rest of this entry »

UDW Protects Provider Wages in Santa Barbara

With strong member support, UDW has been able to protect the wages of Santa Barbara County homecare providers at the current level of $10 per hour.  UDW members voted overwhelmingly in May to ratify a one-year contract extension that will maintain the $10 wage level; the County Board of Supervisors approved the contract on June 11.

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IHSS Provider Orientation Video

ALL IHSS providers must review orientation materials as part of the new state mandated requirement, in order to continue receiving their paycheck.   Consumers are  also impacted by the new rules, yet are not given the same opportunity to view these materials.  Read the rest of this entry »

El Dorado Swears in Elected Leaders

UDW President Laura Reyes speaks at El Dorado County Membership Meeting and Swearing in Ceremony for New Officers

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Pelosi delivers speech over screams of health-care activists

Raucous demonstrators greeted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at a gathering of progressive activists in Washington on Tuesday morning, forcing her to yell her 28-minute policy speech over their loud and uninterrupted protests. Read the rest of this entry »