More Homecare Workers Win Union

Over 100 D.C. area workers at VMT Home Health Agency have voted to join 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. "I voted to join our union because I'm a healthcare workers without health insurance for myself," said Stephanie Johnson, a homecare worker at VMT.  "I have Graves Disease, and I must take medication daily.  I work extremely hard, I should not have to rely on the government to provide assistance for me to get essential medication." Homecare workers, who help seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their own homes, are paid as little as $10.50 per hour, have no health insurance for themselves or their children, and cannot take a paid day off when they are sick. "What you have here is really a movement of the new working poor for economic justice," said John Reid, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU's Maryland/DC division, and a former healthcare worker.  "D.C. homecare workers are uniting for the first time in history, and we're creating a strong voice for better jobs, more funding for homecare programs, and quality care for homecare clients." This week's win follows on the heels of an election at another D.C. homecare agency, Nursing Unlimited, late last year. More than 150 workers joined 1199SEIU in the first successful homecare election in D.C. history. There are now about 2,500 homecare workers in the D.C. area, and workers at other agencies are also organizing to join a union.