California finally has a state budget. Governor Schwarzenegger signed the 2004-05 state budget, which includes lots of borrowing, cuts and deferrals, but no cuts to IHSS and no cuts to home care!

In January 2004, the Governor proposed a budget that included massive cuts to the IHSS program. He proposed to eliminate services for 75,000 disabled children and adults; cut home care worker wages by 30% down to minimum wage; eliminate health insurance; and repeal collective bargaining rights for all home care workers in California. Never before in the 40-year history of IHSS has there been such a massive assault on the core of this program. UDW and its allies, SEIU, the California Homecare Council and senior and disabilities rights advocates launched a massive campaign to beat back these proposals, and, after seven months of organizing, fighting and lobbying every single day - WE WON! In the end, not one penny was cut from IHSS and not one job was lost.

This victory results from the work of many people and organizations throughout the state that deserve our thanks and recognition. On behalf of UDW we thank our President, Ken Seaton-Msemaji and Secretary-Treasurer Fahari Jeffers for leading UDW's efforts in this historic campaign. Our lobbyists, Bob Naylor, Jim Gonzalez, Robert Harris and Pete Conaty, who made sure that UDW and its members always had a voice in Sacramento even when we couldn't be there; our budget and policy analysts Dr. Ann Sutherland and Ellen Martin who helped explain the errors of the Governor's budget and gave sound fiscal alternatives on how to save money without cutting services or jobs; and Willie Pelote, AFSCME's legislative and Political Director, who has made defending IHSS and home care a top priority and who, along with AFSCME's International President, Gerald McEntee, put the entire weight of AFSCME's 1.4 million members on our side throughout this entire campaign. Finally, we thank the thousands of UDW members and their clients throughout the state who wrote letters, made phone calls, attended rallies and press conferences, traveled hundreds of miles to Sacramento on numerous occasions and refused to give an inch in their demand for fairness and justice.

We also give special recognition to SEIU, our partner in the California Homecare Council, chaired by Tyrone Freeman, President of SEIU 434B, for leading an incredible campaign that focused the collective power of California's home care unions to implement a superb strategy that helped build and consolidated widespread public and political support for the home care agenda.

This year, California's budget deficit was $24 billion dollars. Next year's deficit is already estimated at $5 to $10 billion. UDW and its allies will be ready to defend home care, protect the integrity of the IHSS program, ensure that California taxpayers will get full value for every dollar spent on IHSS and that California's elderly and people with disabilities will retain the right to quality home care and will be able to live at home with dignity, safety and independence for as long as they shall choose.

Right alongside efforts to fight the largest proposed budget cuts in the history of IHSS, United Domestic Workers has continued organizing new workers, negotiating new contracts and working to improve the lives of its members and the elderly and disabled individuals they serve. Following is a summary of recent achievements in these areas.

• May 2004 - UDW wins card check recognition for 150 home care workers in Colusa County by filing signed authorization cards from 60% of the workers who designated UDW as their choice for representation. Leading the Colusa organizing campaign was UDW Organizing Director, Art Ramirez. Thanks to Cynthia Lovelace, Colusa Personnel Analyst, for her role in this process.
  
• June 2004 - UDW wins union representation election for a bargaining unit of 460 workers in Siskiyou County where 73% voted Yes for UDW. Organizing Director Art Ramirez led the campaign with administrative support from Molly Hillis, UDW Northern Region Director and key organizing support from Pat Correa, UDW Executive Board, and organizers Tuan Luu, Tony Martinez and Jose Sanchez. Special thanks go to the Siskiyou County Chief Administrative Officer Howard Moody and the IHSS Public Authority Manager Sonia Samelson who were distinguishably fair and cooperative in facilitating the election process.
  
• July 2004 - UDW breaks its own record when 53% of the unit votes in the first UDW contract ratification in northern California - the highest percentage turnout for any UDW election to date. Placer County workers approved their first contract with a 97% YES vote. The contract covers 1,000 home care workers and provides a 26% pay raise, taking workers from $6.75 to $8.50 over the life of the contract; health, dental and vision benefits; and wall-to-wall agency shop. Leading the negotiations was Molly Hillis, UDW Northern Region Director, accompanied by Executive Board member Barbara Hoff, and a great bargaining team of Placer County workers and clients including Kathy Anderson, Toni Clines, Abigail Fossett, Priscilla Moll, Linder Rivers, Michelle Rivers and Ron Woertink. Providing negotiations strategy and coordination were Secretary-Treasurer Fahari Jeffers and Regional Services Administrator Cisco Hunter.
  
• July 2004 - UDW wins a first contract for 1,300 workers in San Luis Obispo County. The contract provides a 22% pay raise over its term, from $6.75 to $8.25; agency shop; and health and dental benefits. The lead negotiator was Cynthia Hanna, UDW Director in Orange County with negotiations and organizing assistance from Christa Indriolo. Bargaining committee members Jeanne Hanysz, Kristine Hawrylew, Linda Phelps, Jane Von Koehe, Mark Wipple and UDW Executive Board members Shirley Adams and Tiffany Adams were supported by a strong team of member activists including Matthew Green, Lori Heizer, Toni Paradis, Yvonne Ross and Sissy Smith. UDW garnered support from a wide variety of community, labor and political organizations and individuals, including Marilyn Valenzuela of the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council, Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, Steve Weiner, Secretary-Treasurer and Walt Mankins, Business Manager of the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo Building Trades Council, Hank Lewis of IBEW 639, Owen Betts of Laborers International Local 409, Tom Hutchings - AIDS Foundation, Sanford Cook and Stew Jenkins.