Vigil: Nestande, Emmerson, and Cook Pulled the Trigger on our Communities’ Education and Health & Human Services
(Front Riverside Community Hospital: Magnolia Avenue & 14th Street) Read the rest of this entry »
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In light of the proposed 20% cuts to IHSS UDW has been fighting alongside other organizations and advocates to:
1) Stop the cuts through the court system Read more
2) Inform our members how their clients can fight the cuts on an individual basis.
More Information
3) Educate the public and our representatives about how devastating these cuts will be if they go through. How to Take Action
UDW members and family, staff and community leaders met on December 5th at local IBEW hall -
This AFSCME sponsored Town Hall Meeting connected local members and supporters with political candidates and legislators. .
Get involved with your local Stanislaus Chapter to stay informed on current events.
See More Stanislaus Chapter News.
Placer members came together to support one another, celebrate the homecare community, and share important news. Click this link to see all photos
This week’s Battleground Bulletin reports on AFSCME’s endorsement yesterday of President Obama in his bid for a second term in 2012.
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On Tuesday, AFSCME’s International Executive Board unanimously endorsed Barack Obama for a second term as President, citing his achievements on passing a law providing affordable health care for all, his determination to put Americans back to work and improve the economy, and his staunch support for collective bargaining rights.
In stark contrast, recent GOP debates have demonstrated just how out of touch the Republican candidates are with reality. As 99 percent of the nation continues to suffer through the jobs crisis, Republican Presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich has doubled-down on his support of child labor.
CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS REPORT
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
#197-2011 – DECEMBER 7, 2011 – WEDNESDAY
One of 10 Other Californians To Be Honored In December 8th Ceremony In Sacramento Hosted by Governor Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Brown
SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN) [Last updated 12/07/2011 05:00 PM] - The late Ed Roberts, revered by people with disabilities and seniors across the nation for his trail blazing work as a disability and civil rights leader, will be one of 10 Californians to be inducted in the California Hall of Fame, in a ceremony hosted by Governor Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Brown on December 8th, 7:00 PM at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J Street, a few blocks from the State Capitol. Ed Roberts mother, Zona. is scheduled to be at the ceremony to accept the “Spirit of California” medal that all inductees receive, on behalf of her son. Read the rest of this entry »
Home > Elections & Politics Impacting IHSS
This initiative silences working people.
Wealthy corporate interests are once again coming after union families in an effort to silence our voice and clear the field of any opposition to their agenda. This latest attack comes in the form of a “paycheck deception” ballot initiative that corporate backers say is about special interests, but in fact is designed to strip middle class workers from having a voice in politics. This initiative has qualified to appear on the November 2012 general election ballot.
Proponents of the initiative claim it would reign in campaign contributions by both unions and corporations, but in fact, the deceptive wording of the initiative specifically targets union members, while a big loophole leaves corporate campaign contributions essentially unscathed and unchecked.
Pending budget cuts could jeopardize health, safety of state’s most vulnerable
By Letisia Marquez UCLA Newsroom December 7, 2011
California’s low-income seniors with disabilities are struggling to remain in their homes as public funding for long-term care services shrinks and may be slashed even further, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research conducted with support from The SCAN Foundation.
Should as much as $100 million in additional cuts be made to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) on Dec. 15, as proposed by the state Legislature, seniors with disabilities will lose crucial support systems that allow them to remain safely in their homes and out of nursing homes. This vulnerable group could face a 20 percent loss in the number of paid caregiver hours they receive, on top of cuts already enacted earlier this year. Read the rest of this entry »
CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS REPORT
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
#196-2011 – DECEMBER 6, 2011 – TUESDAY
California Budget Crisis:
Advocates Praise Department of Social Services for Moving Swiftly On Proposal Before Final Federal Regulations Have Been Issued – 2011-2012 State Budget Assumes State Will Win Approval of Proposal and Draw Down $128 Million In Increased Federal Dollars In Current Budget Year – No Impact to State Budget Trigger Cuts
SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN) [Last updated 12/06/2011 01:00 PM] - The Brown Administration, in an effort to move swiftly to capture significantly more federal matching Medicaid dollars for the In-Home Supportive Services program, submitted on December 1st a “State Plan Amendment” (or “SPA”) covering a five year phased in process under a new Medicaid community-based services program called the “Community First Choice Option”. Read the rest of this entry »
Huffington Post Los Angeles, December 6, 2011
Doug Moore
Executive Director, UDW Homecare Providers Union
When Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich proposed that students should take over the job of cleaning our schools, he was rightly denounced for wanting to eliminate what he called “stupid” child labor laws.
But not a word has been said about the tens of thousands of low-wage janitors who would lose their jobs under Gingrich’s plan or about what it would mean to their families and to our national and local economies. Read the rest of this entry »
Home > State Budget News Category .
California Healthline, Thursday, December 6 2011
About two-thirds of California voters oppose the possibility of automatic, midyear state spending cuts, according to a Field Poll, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from Nov. 15 to Nov. 27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points (Miller, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 12/5).
Background
In June, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) approved an $86 billion state budget plan that was based on spending cuts, fee hikes and expectations of higher revenue later in the fiscal year. Lawmakers also relied on an assumption that the state would receive $4 billion in new revenue over what previously was expected through June 2012. Read more
Home > State Budget News Category
CDCAN DISABILITY RIGHTS REPORT
#195-2011 – DECEMBER 5, 2011 – MONDAY
California Budget Crisis:
Proposes Five Year Temporary Income Tax Increase on Wealthy Californians and 1/2 Cent Temporary Increase In State Sales Tax - Funding Would Be Dedicated for Education and Public Safety
SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN) [Last updated 12/05/2011 03:00 PM] - Governor Brown will seek to place on the November 2012 general election ballot an initiative that proposes to raise $7 billion through a combination of temporary tax increases on the wealthy and a temporary increase of the state sales tax, targeting the increased revenues specifically for education and public safety and “not to other programs we cannot afford.” The Governor did not specify what those other programs were that the State cannot afford. Read the rest of this entry »
Santa’s Helpers –
More than 40 UDW members, family and friends participated in the annual Merced County Christmas Parade. More than 3,000 candy canes with “Merry Christmas from UDW” were distributed to the crowd . The parade announcer described UDW as ” A wonderful organization that provides a VITAL AND VALUABLE SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY.”
Editorial written by Nancy Becker Kennedy
Submitted to the LA Times.
According to Washington Post and Bloomberg news “IBM’s Benchmark research firm found that online spending was 33 percent higher than the same period last year and was 29.3 percent higher than Black Friday 2011.” Boy brick-and-mortar stores just can’t rake in as much money as all those cyber sales. Too bad for the IHSS program, and all the other crucial safety net programs, that a lot of those huge sales didn’t generate any taxes for California this year. It’s really bad when you consider that they’re deciding to make 20% trigger cuts to the In-Home Supportive Services Program (IHSS) and other vital safety net services based on the revenues that are generated by this December. And what’s really a pity it is that the law depriving our state of the lifeblood they need to keep the safety net intact, these “Amazon taxes” aren’t going to be generated for the state of California until 2012. Wow if only we had that revenue now! Read the rest of this entry »
A federal judge has apparently granted at least a temporary reprieve to 372,000 elderly and disabled Californians who faced a 20 percent cut in their in-home care on Jan. 1.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of Oakland issued a temporary restraining order Thursday that prohibits the state from taking any immediate steps to carry out the reductions — in particular, from mailing out notices to all recipients, starting next week. Wilken said a lawsuit by disability-rights groups and other advocates raised “serious questions” about whether the cuts would violate federal health and disability laws by forcing recipients into nursing homes.
That means it’s highly unlikely the reductions can take effect Jan. 1, said Stacey Leyton, one of the lawyers who filed the suit. She said the state’s attorneys had told Wilken they needed to send out the notices next week to start the clock running for cutbacks on New Year’s Day. Read the rest of this entry »
Published in: Mercury News. By Josh Richman
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at 5:23 pm in state budget.
A federal judge in Oakland has issued a temporary restraining order to keep California from implementing a 20 percent across-the-board cut in the In-Home Supportive Services program on Jan. 1.
IHSS is meant as an alternative to nursing homes or other out-of-home institutionalization for the elderly, disabled and blind. The deep cut was part of the state budget deal passed earlier this year. Read the rest of this entry »
Home > State Budget News
United States District Court Judge Claudia A. Wilken granted an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) Dec. 1st which prevents the state from taking any actions to implement a 20 percent across-the-board reduction in In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) hours on January 1, 2012. The reduction was mandated in the 2011-12 state budget passed earlier this year.
The action was requested today by a coalition that included UDW and other provider unions, and Disability Rights California and other disability and senior advocacy organizations.
“We are pleased that Judge Wilken recognized the urgency of preventing the state from moving ahead with this devastating cut that would affect nearly 400,000 elderly and disabled Californians,” said Doug Moore, UDW Executive Director. “We believe these cuts to IHSS would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws and need to be stopped immediately. Read the rest of this entry »
As 2011 draws to a close, right-to-work-for-less legislation is poised to rear its ugly head again after being defeated in several states this year. This week’s Battleground Bulletin examines the plans of anti-worker legislators in Ohio, Indiana and New Hampshire to resurrect these misguided proposals.
The Fight Against Right-To-Work-For-Less Continues
Despite the big victories working families across the country scored in defense of workers’ basic rights this year, some anti-worker legislators and their allies have ignored the voters and plan to continue their attack on workers.
With a final vote of 240 to 139, New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien fell 12 votes short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override Governor John Lynch’s veto of right-to-work-for-less legislation. O’Brien has been trying to override the governor’s veto since May, but has repeatedly delayed the vote in the hope that enough pro-worker citizen legislators would fail to show up, thus changing the outcome. Since the original vote on the bill, four pro-worker candidates—three Democrats and a Republican firefighter—won special elections for seats previously held by O’Brien allies. All won after vowing to vote to sustain the governor’s veto. Read the rest of this entry »
Disability Rights California (DRC) has published important information about the IHSS Care Supplement.
“Consumers whose hours are cut by 20% can apply for an IHSS Care Supplement. State law says IHSS consumers can get an IHSS Care Supplement only there is a serious risk of out-of-home placement. “Out-of-home placement” means that you would have to leave your own home and go live somewhere else such as a board and care home or a nursing home. If you apply for and are approved to receive an IHSS Care Supplement you will have all or part of the 20% cut in your IHSS hours restored.”
Download complete DRC informational flyer, (pdf) including Physician’s Survey Regarding Functional Limitations
Additional Information:
- UDW News Post with informational flyers & call-in conference information on 20% cuts
- California Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN) Report #192-211)
Very complete policy information and legislative report. - Department of Social Services (DSS) All County Letter instructing counties on the implementation of the 20% reduction to consumer hours.
Homecare & IHSS News
- UDW Endorses Candidates for June 5th Primary
- UDW Notified of Potential Breach in IHSS Security: Members Should Take Steps to Protect Their Personal Information
- Chinatown Death Plunge at Age 91 Triggers Worries About Isolated Elders
- Obama Administration Releases Final Regulations for New Medicaid Program for States Called “Community First Choice Option”
State Budget News
- Providers, Consumers Rally at Capitol to Protest IHSS Cuts, Demand Reform
- STATE BUDGET: More cuts needed, Brown says
- Workers Declare: Home Care Cuts are Off the Table!
- UDW/AFSCME Local 3930 May Revision of 2012-2013 Budget Preliminary IHSS Overview – May 14, 2012
UDW Stories & Events
Editorials
- Keeping a Promise to Home Care Aides
- Budget Genocide and the Criminalization of Poor Families
- Jonathan Glidden and Nicki Pecchenino: Legislature dismantling services for elderly, disabled
Provider/Consumer Stories
- Don’t forget to care for the caregiver
- IHSS Consumers: you may have free training availbale in your county
- Mario Scharmer, recovering from brain injury, gets county honor for his art
Featured Videos
- The Truth About Budget Cuts
- Impact of IHSS on long term care in California
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- AFSCME members rally for child care services at NY City
- AFSCME members fend off bills as Ariz. legislature finishes session
- Walker tries to divide, will not conquer
- We Are Wisconsin
- Big Election Day for Workers' Rights
- Michigan workers fighting to 'Protect Out Jobs'
- Missouri home care providers win historic court ruling
- AFSCME N.Y. honors lawmakers who stood up for state workers
- Maine's anti-worker Gov. calls state workers 'corrupt'
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Recent News
- Revenue ballot measure vital to save Calif. public services
- Anti-worker lawmakers out of touch with Wisconsin working families
- Remarks by Laura Reyes UDW/SEIU Capitol Rally — May 15, 2012
- Providers, Consumers Rally at Capitol to Protest IHSS Cuts, Demand Reform
- AFSCME members rally for child care services at NY City
