Economics

Home Care Workers Demand Gov. Brown Keep His Promise of Overtime Pay

Published

9 years ago

February 14, 2015

In-home care workers, union members, and seniors rallied outside the State building in downtown Oakland on Wednesday chanting, “Overtime is overdue,” demanding that Gov. Jerry Brown keep his promise of overtime pay for workers who provide in-home support to their clients.

The Oakland action was part of statewide events that took place this week from Sacramento to Santa Barbara and San Diego, highlighting the work that in-home workers provide to the elderly and people with disabilities.

In the 2014-15 state budget, Gov. Brown agreed to implement new federal rules that placed in-home care workers under the Federal Labor Standards Act, which translates to overtime pay after a 40-hour workweek. The new rules were to go into effect by January.

However, those rules have not been enacted, with the administration citing a “legal challenge from out-of-state, for-profit home care agencies.” According to a statement from unions representing home care workers, the federal ruling does not prevent the administration from implementing overtime rates.

“It’s time California moves forward and ends the second-class status of caregivers by fulfilling its promise for equal- ity and for protection of all workers,” said David Werlin, speaking at the rally. Werlin is Director of Member Strength for Northern California of the SEIU-ULTCW union that represents 180,000 home care workers in California.

“Our work is not visible, but it’s absolutely vital to the well-being of our clients,” said Virginia Duran, a home care provider in San Jose.

Home care provider Virginia Duran.

Over the past 18 months, Duran has cared for her 88-year-old mother who has gone through multiple surgeries in the past year. Duran told the Post she is paid for just 53 hours a month, but she often works around-the-clock to assist her mother who has limited mobility – having had surgery on both her knees and shoulder – and is on a restricted diet.

“Our clients count on us,” said home care provider Paula Saulsby from San Francisco County.

“To deny basic protections like overtime to homecare providers is wrong. It not only hurts workers like me, but it hurts the elderly and the disabled who depend on us, and it hurts millions of families that will count on us in the future,” she said.

“Every hour of our work is critical to our clients, and its time that Brown recognize that and treat us with the dignity and respect that we deserve,” Saulsby said.

Hundreds of workers also filed wage theft claims this week across the state to demonstrate their need for basic protections under labor laws.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Bay Area workers will take their message to Sacramento. They will load buses at 6 a.m. to rally at the Capitol and demand that Gov. Brown keep his promise.

For more information, call Ken Chambers at (510) 701-1588. For Spanish speakers, call (510) 701-3219; for Chinese speakers, call (510) 326- 2767.

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Business

Black Business Summit Focuses on Equity, Access and Data

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship. Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA), answers questions from concerned entrepreneurs frustrated with a lack of follow-up from the state. January 24, 2024 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, Lost Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship.

Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA) was a guest at the event. He told attendees about his department’s efforts to increase access for Black business owners.

“One thing I’m taking away from this for sure is we’re going to have to do a better job of connecting through your chambers of all these opportunities of billions of dollars that are coming down the pike. I’m honestly disappointed that people don’t know, so we’ll do better,” said Omishakin.

Lueathel Seawood, the president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin County, expressed frustration with obtaining federal contracts for small businesses, and completing the process. She observed that once a small business was certified as DBE, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, there was little help getting to the next step.

Omishakin admitted there is more work to be done to help them complete the process and include them in upcoming projects. However, the high-speed rail system expansion by the California High-Speed Rail Authority has set a goal of 30% participation from small businesses — only 10 percent is set aside for DBE.

The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in economics was reinforced during the “State of the California Economy” talk led by author and economist Julianne Malveaux, and Anthony Asadullah Samad, Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Assaults on DEI disproportionately affect women of color and Black women, according to Malveaux. When asked what role the loss of DEI might serve in economics, she suggested a more sinister purpose.

“The genesis of all this is anti-blackness. So, your question about how this fits into the economy is economic exclusion, that essentially has been promoted as public policy,” said Malveaux.

The most anticipated speaker at the event was Janice Bryant Howroyd known affectionately to her peers as “JBH.” She is one of the first Black women to run and own a multi-billion-dollar company. Her company ActOne Group, is one of the largest, and most recognized, hiring, staffing and human resources firms in the world. She is the author of “Acting Up” and has a profile on Forbes.

Chairman of the board of directors of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon, a lawyer and the first Black Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor of California, moderated. They discussed the state of Black entrepreneurship in the country and Howroyd gave advice to other business owners.

“We look to inspire and educate,” said Howroyd. “Inspiration is great but when I’ve got people’s attention, I want to teach them something.”