MD Homecare Workers Unionize

More than 4,000 Maryland home care providers voted overwhelmingly this month to make AFSCME their union. “There’s a real excitement among us providers,” said Audra Feldman, a Baltimore provider. “We feel like we’re on the move. We fought for this, it’s ours, and it’s an opening to a better future.” The providers work in the homes of some 20,000 seniors – and others with disabilities – who otherwise might be consigned to nursing homes or state facilities. The providers’ achievement – four years in the making – follows an Executive Order signed last August by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) that gave them the power join a union and bargain collectively with the state over their Medicaid-funded program. Key issues include reimbursement rates, payment schedules and benefits. Photo by Joe Lawrence