January 6, 2023
SEIU Healthcare on Friday announced the deal it reached with the state of Minnesota, which would increase starting wages from $15.25 to $20 per hour by 2025 and offer more pay bumps for veteran workers. Union negotiators hailed the deal as professionalizing the industry and offering livable wages and a state orientation program to prepare workers who are new to the challenges of caregiving. The deal, subject to ratification votes later this year by workers and the Legislature, would be the fifth since the home care workforce was unionized. It covers more than 20,000 caregivers in consumer-directed programs, meaning they are employed directly by their elderly or disabled clients in cooperation with the state. Read the full article.