WPYR: Baltimore pledges $2 million to direct care health workers
Scott Maucione, WYPR
Grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will go directly into some healthcare workers' pockets as the city works with the 1199 Service Employees International Union, which represents many of the employees.
“These relief plans are meant to make it just a little easier for these workers who laid down their lives to keep the direct care economy and jobs working,” Mayor Brandon Scott said during a Tuesday press conference. “My hope is that this $2 million grant for relief funds will at least make a difference for some of our workers and their own families and allow it to be a starting point for us to continue to evolve how we evaluate and pay these workers.”
The money will help the employees with things like groceries or car payments.
In April, the Maryland Direct Services Collaborative surveyed individuals known as direct-care workers, such as nursing assistants, medicine assistants, home care aides and found that the median salary ranged between $23,000 and $27,000.
There are about 55,000 workers across Maryland who care directly for patients. The job is filled overwhelmingly by Black women, according to the study.
About 84% of home care workers are women, as well as 85% of workers at assisted living facilities, and 95% of workers in nursing homes. A total of 68% of home care workers, 80% of workers at assisted living facilities and 76% of workers in nursing homes are Black.
“Nearly everyone recognizes that they do not make enough money,” said Meg LaPorte, one of the authors of the study and executive director of the Maryland Direct Services Collaborative. “If you look at the MIT living wage calculator, they're either at or just below living wages.”
The grant comes as other healthcare workers in the area are demanding more staff support and higher wages.
Kaiser Permanente employees in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if the company and coalition of unions cannot agree on a new contract by the end of the month.
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