Direct care workers rally for living wage

Hundreds of direct care workers, along with people they care for, rallied at the state Capitol earlier Monday to call for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allocate $45 million in the state budget for raises, which they say would at least keep these caregivers on par with fast food workers and big box employees.

These caregivers, who number more than 100,000 statewide, feed, clean, and generally help disabled New Yorkers with a variety of activities. They are the people who do the true ”heavy lifting,” in the human services field, said Michael Seereiter, President and CEO of the state Rehabilitation Association, which is one of several groups representing not-for-profit service agencies.

And despite the demands and training required for direct care, they are frequently paid just above minimum wage.

The fear is that, in light of the recently passed increase in the state’s minimum wage — which is set to hit $15-an-hour downstate and $12.50 by the end of 2020 — lots of care workers will simply head to easier jobs in retail or in fast food, where they already earn more than the $9 minimum.

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/268473/direct-care-workers-rally-for-living-wage/