Sacramento Business Journal: New union protests home care cuts
Dennis McCoy, Sacramento Business Journal: Sal Rosselli speaks with protesters at the first rally held by National Union for Healthcare Workers, a union he founded Jan. 28.by Kathy Robertson, Staff writer
Home care workers and their clients, other caregivers and union leaders rallied on the steps of the State Capitol Tuesday to protest proposed cuts to the program that funds services that keep more than 400,000 seniors and disabled Californians in their own homes.
A plan to roll back wages and benefits and shave less impaired clients from the program is projected to save almost $450 million though June 30, 2010.
“Are we going to accept cuts by the governor?” yelled Sal Rosselli, the former president of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West who founded a new union for healthcare workers Jan. 28.
“Hell No!” responded a crowd of about two dozen.
The first political action by National Union for Healthcare Workers, the rally was organized by members and an all volunteer staff.
“The economic impacts of the cuts on the state will be extraordinary,” said Paul Kumar, a voluntary staff leader at NUHW. “It will undermine health care services and workers’ livelihood — exactly the opposite of what we need to do.
Source: Sacramento Business Journal