Connecticut legislature passes $19.3 million PCA labor agreement

Following debate in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the legislature approved raises, increased time off and holidays, and a bonus for 12,000 personal care assistants (PCAs) covered under a three-year union contract. The contract with SEIU 1199 NE is for PCAs working under the state’s self-directed care model, in which the individual receiving in-home care receives the money to pay the PCAs. Connecticut has increasingly moved toward an in-home model of care for seniors and persons with disabilities to avoid the higher costs of nursing homes and residential care.