Nassau County Homecare Workers Fight Back Against Proposed Living Wage Cut

Four years ago, then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi signed a living wage law in front of a crowd of 1199SEIU homecare workers at our Martin Luther King Day March for Justice for Home Health Aides. It was the culmination of a campaign by a broad coalition of Long Island labor and community groups. Finally, workers on county contracts – including thousands of homecare workers – would be required to receive a base salary of $12.50 per hour, phased in over four years.

Now that victory is under threat. Homecare agency owners succeeded in convincing the leadership of the Nassau County legislature to introduce a last-minute bill cancelling the final $1 raise, scheduled to go into effect on August 1, replacing it with just 18 cents.

“A dollar is a lot of money to me,” 1199 member Ofelia Rivera told Newsday. “We need this raise.”

The proposal was passed through two legislative committees on July 12, but now proponents are on the defensive. Intensive media coverage including a front page NY Newsday article, and a strong turnout of workers at an August 19 hearing prompted legislators to question home care industry representatives about whether their finances really justified cancelling the increase.

Make Your Voice Heard! Support Nassau County’s Living Wage!

The final vote on whether or not to cancel the raise will be held on Monday, July 26 at 3 p.m. at the Nassau County Legislature, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola. If you live in Nassau County, please come to the vote and call your county legislator before then at (516) 571-6200 or find their email at nassaucountyny.gov

Tell them to support Nassau County’s living wage!