 |
Robert and Cindy Thyfault
|
Robert Thyfault, a UHW member and activist since the union first organized the Sacramento County IHSS workers in 1999-2000, is committed to keeping UHW as the union for homecare workers.
"When the union came to us, I was making minimum wage and getting no healthcare," says this former electrician who quit his job in 1995 to look after his wife, Cindy, who needs 24-hour care.
Pointing out that he used to have to rely on county assistance for his health, Thyfault adds: "The union organized us and helped us bring about the county's Public Authority."
Public Authorities are quasi public entities that help consumers find workers, provide training and serve as the employer of record for collective bargaining purposes in each of the state's counties.
More Victories and New Struggles
"We've made a lot of progress since then, thanks to our UHW activism, he recalls fondly. "Together, we have organized nearly 16,000 members. And we get respect and dignity for the work we do."
But, according to Thyfault, there are many other improvements that need to be made to make sure that homecare providers get what they deserve. "The governor has capped what married couples can get at 195, instead of 283, hours per month of paid care, he quips, effectively penalizing marriage. "I sometimes wonder if the governor knows the consequences of his policies for working families and people in need."
Explaining that UHW also provides him and other IHSS providers with a political forum, Thyfault notes that the union is the vehicle the workers need to put pressure on politicians and improve conditions. "Our activism has not waned and we continue to organize homecare workers in this and other counties."
He notes, however, that UHW is much more than a union, as it reaches deep into his and his wife's social lives. "It's a family for us, where we know we can get the support we need.
Members Matter to UHW
A member of the UHW Executive Board, Tena Robinson is another Sacramento IHSS worker who is compelled to share her journey with UHW with other members.
"I joined UHW because the union came to me," she says, recalling that Mickiela Yagen, also an Executive Board member, was the one who spoke to her about joining the union and improving her chances of getting better working conditions.
Explaining the nuances of her job, Robinson, who takes care of two consumers, says that IHSS services help people who may otherwise languish hopelessly in nursing homes and whose health may eventually take a turn for the worse. "With a provider like us they get one-to-one care, and at a more reasonable cost for the state and the families.
Yet there is something more important than the political muscle that homecare workers now have, even more precious than the bargaining power that has allowed them to get the best wages. "Our journey with UHW has meant that we've gone from obscurity to notoriety. It has given us an identity, a purpose. Because the union is so adamant about reaching out to members and involving them in the struggle, "we always know what's going on. UHW is ours, we've grown with it, and it's growing with us."
|
