Linda Bertoni

Home Health Aide / Best Care / New York, NY

The February 28 City Council hearings on the plight of NYC’s Home Health Aides heard testimony from four workers, in addition to City officials, Union leaders and others. Those testifying included Hortense A. Smith, a 64-year-old Jamaican immigrant with 10 grown children, and a Home Health Aide for nearly 20 years; Jennifer Clarke, a Home Health Aide with All Metro agency who worked for 13 years before finally winning a Union contract in 2004; Yvette Jackson and Linda Bertoni. What follows are excerpts from the prepared remarks Linda Bertoni.

“I am a mother of two kids and I provide shelter for my children and my sick husband, who has a heart condition. Everyday before I leave home, I make sure they are ready to start their day for either church or school."

“I’ve been a Home Health Aide for 23 years, and have worked for Best Care for 13 years. Best Care doesn’t give me health insurance, pension, sick days or vacation time. Best Care only pays me $6.75 an hour, and only one more dollar per hour on holidays."

“My patient and I have known each other for about 23 years. She has faith and trust in me due to the outstanding services I’ve been providing for her. Everyday I cook for her, bathe her, grocery shop for her, pay her bills and make sure she is happy. In fact, when I changed agencies to work for Best Care, my patient followed, and kept me as her Home Health Aide."

“My work ability and love for my patient has caused her to have so much faith in me to even call me daughter. But Best Care doesn’t encourage me to be nice to my patient, it seems like they don’t even care about their employees or their patients."

“We, the workers of Best Care would like you to improve our working conditions so we can sustain our status as outstanding workers, care for our patients, and keep our patients safe.”

“It seems like [the employers] they don’t even care about their employees or their patients.”