• The President's Report
• The Secretary-Treasurer's Report
• IHSS Escapes Budget Axe
• AFSCME Convention is Milestone for UDW
• UDW Targets Key Election Races

• Bargaining updates for
  San Diego and
  El Dorado Counties
• UDW Celebrates 30th Anniverary
• Governor signs UDW legislation
• New Office for Santa Barbara

" ...it appeared that our program was in serious jeopardy. But it didn't happen because you wouldn't let it happen. "

"Your Executive Board and UDW management are committed to
keep spending within revenue
and on budget"

Current Assets:

LIABILITIES & EQUITY

Income

Dues

4,549,579.11

Grant Income

20,187.96

Other Revenue

8,733.13

Total Income

4,578,500.20

Expense

Payments to Affiliates

98,091.15

Grants/Allocations/Contributions

116,173.51

Personnel Expenses

1,816,843.59

Professional Fees

153,226.73

Office Expenses

869,930.07

Travel

381,994.29

UDWA Conf, Convention, Meetings

114,174.00

Interest Expense

15,683.88

Depreciation/Depletion

70,655.26

Other Expenses

129,716.20

Total Expense

3,766,488.68

Net Income

812,011.52

After a tremendous effort by our members, our loved ones and clients, and our community allies from all across California, we won an important victory on September 23 when Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law a new state budget with NO cuts for IHSS providers or clients.

Beginning in January, we were faced with the specter of significant IHSS cuts by the governor as he tried to close a $15.2 billion budget deficit. Here's what was being proposed:

• Permanent elimination of certain domestic and related services for consumers with functional index ranks below 4. These cuts would have forced 84,000 IHSS consumers to go without crucial services such as meal preparation and cleanup, housekeeping, laundry, and food shopping. (The functional index score provides a measure of the consumer's independence and need for human assistance for performance of IHSS. For more information, go to our Resource Page.)
• Making 7,100 IHSS consumers with functional index scores below 4 pay an increased monthly share of cost, averaging $427, out of their own pockets. If they couldn't afford the cost, they could lose home care services.
• Elimination of the state contribution (the money the state reimburses counties when they pay IHSS wages). This would have meant that all providers would receive a minimum wage of $8.00 per hour in all counties regardless of current contracts or the gains made in negotiations.

But the budget the governor finally signed after a record-setting 85-day delay has none of these cuts!

From the first of the year, you and your clients have increased your political involvement to fight the governor's proposal. You testified at emotional hearings in the Capitol that helped put a human face on the dollars being cut. You bombarded your legislators and the governor with thoughtful and moving letters, emails and phone calls. You attended budget forums in your counties to spread the word about the proposed cuts.

This is truly outstanding victory for UDW members and the people we serve. But our work is not over. Now we must maintain this level of political involvement as we shift our focus to some very important election races in our counties. We need to be victorious in our counties on November 4 th so we do not have to fight to save IHSS year after year.

Read more about how this victory was won

UDW members will be out walking precincts, registering voters and working the telephones between now and November to help change the political situation in our counties and at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

At the state level this year, we had to fight to convince six Assembly members and two Senators to not cut IHSS funding. In November, w e have an opportunity to elect four new Assembly Members and a Senator that won't need convincing about the importance of IHSS. We need these people to help us win next year's budget fight (yes, we expect another budget battle in 2009).

In counties like San Diego and El Dorado , we're faced with County Supervisors who do not value home care providers. Especially with six contracts up for negotiation next year, we need to elect and support county supervisors who will support us and the people we serve. That is why we must maintain and build the level of member political involvement we achieved during this year's state budget fight.

UDW is actively supporting these candidates:

Above all, don't forget to vote on November 4th . Remember, the last day to register to vote in this election is October 20th . If you aren't registered, contact our county registrar's office

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During the July AFSCME Convention in San Francisco, delegates voted to make UDW its own unique district. This means that, for the first time, UDW is a direct affiliate of AFSCME (Local 3930). Thanks to this decision, UDW is now more autonomous, with more resources and more control over how those resources are used.

In addition, AFSCME delegates created a new International Vice President position to recognize the pioneering role Home Care Providers are playing in shaping the future of health care in the United States . UDW Executive Director Doug Moore was unanimously elected to fill the position as our representative on the AFSCME International Executive Board.

“I'm excited to be joining the International Board of AFSCME at this crucial time in U.S. history,” he said. “Home care workers represented by UDW see firsthand every day the importance of health care reform in America . With AFSCME's help, we will elect Barack Obama as our new president so we can get real reform.” UDW and AFSCME have endorsed Obama for president.

In one of the largest rallies in UDW history, more than 500 home care providers, clients, and labor and community supporters marched around the San Diego County Administration Building on September 16 to protest the County Board of Supervisors refusal to pay providers a livable wage. The event was covered by the San Diego ABC, NBC, FOX, and Univision TV stations, the North County Times, and other local media.

After hearing from UDW President Laura Reyes, several providers and clients, and our allies from the disability, religious and labor communities, the large crowd marched around the building chanting: “Stop playing games” and “Be fair to those who care.” At the same time, inside the building at the Board of Supervisors meeting, providers and clients urged the supervisors to raise their outrageous offer of a 44-cents-an-hour salary increase spread over three years. UDW is seeking $1.50 an hour over three years.

UDW has been bargaining since November, but the supervisors have refused to budge. The two sides have declared an impasse. An outside mediator has been called in but, up until now, he has made no progress in breaking the deadlock.

Despite being one of the wealthiest counties in California, San Diego County currently pays its home care providers $9.25 in wages, one of the lowest rates in the state. Neighboring Imperial County, one of the state's poorest, recently increased home care providers salaries to $10.50 an hour. Imperial County 's general fund is less than one percent of San Diego County 's.

To add insult to injury, San Diego County pays its entry level Animal Care Attendants more than $15 an hour, plus full benefits.

According to a recent study, a single person with no dependants living in San Diego needs a full-time job paying at least $13.71 an hour—$28,510 a year—to cover basic living costs. (Making Ends Meet, Center on Policy Initiatives, 2008). At their current salary, home care providers in San Diego earn less than $20,000 a year.

Speakers at the rally argued that the supervisors are being “penny wise and pound-foolish” and are putting taxpayer dollars at risk by refusing to support IHSS home providers. They pointed out that without the services of home care providers,

thousands of San Diegans will be forced out of their homes and into institutional care. They also noted that increased wages for providers would create a much-needed economic stimulus, resulting in an estimated $75 million increase in consumer spending in San Diego County.

UDW will continue to put pressure on the Board of Supervisors by bringing their unconscionable lack of support for the county's most vulnerable citizens and the home care providers who serve them.