Well over 400 SEIU Local 503 homecare workers, joined by clients and supporters, turned out for noon rallies in seven cities November 21.
In January, more than 10,000 seniors and people with disabilities face a 5% reduction in essential services that allow them to remain in their homes — on the very day the wealthiest Oregonians get an income tax break.
Now, as preposterous as it may sound, Governor Kitzhaber — the self-proclaimed “Health Care Governor” — is trying to eliminate health care coverage for thousands of low-wage workers who provide home care for these clients who depend on them to stay healthy and safe.
The care these $10.20-an-hour workers provide allows many of the most vulnerable Oregonians to remain in their homes with independence, dignity and choice.
The message delivered in Portland, where nearly 200 rallied in the rain, was replicated in Salem, where about 75 state workers joined in support, as well as Medford, Eugene, Bend, Pendleton and Coos Bay:
Governor Kitzhaber’s attack on the health care of Oregon homecare workers’ own health care is outrageous and shameful. Their income has been frozen for four years and will go down with the state service cuts in January. As a result, the state’s own recent survey showed that Oregon homecare workers qualify for public assistance at a higher rate than any other group except those employed at Wal-Mart!