Home health care workers want higher wages and unions

Share

Home health care workers are rallying for living wages. In Tampa Wednesday, industry workers spoke up and announced they are looking for union representation to aid them in the fight. Home health care workers are fed up with providing life sustaining services while remaining near poverty level.

This bottom up surge for a living wage is being staged not only in Tampa but throughout the country. Although done out of a love of their job, keeping your head above the rising tide of debt is paramount to making ends meet. Grace Overton is a nurse who comes from a family of health care workers and she loves her job. She says keeping motivated health care workers on the payroll comes with a price.

The more than 100 people who squeezed into the Seminole Heights Public Library conference room, echoed one overarching theme: the formation of a union. The grassroots advocacy group, Fight for 15, which champions a $15 minimum hourly wage for fast food employees, organized the town hall meeting. Representatives from unions where on hand to educate and recruit. Ann Buckner, a home care worker, is employed at five different agencies and logs more than 200 hours a week. She understands the value of unions.

There were also a couple of Tampa City Council members on hand to show their support for unions and higher minimum wage for home health care workers. All the speakers like council member Yvonne Yolie Capin, the motivations for their support were deeply personal.

Another rally will be held on April 15 in support of $15 an hour minimum wage and union formation.

You may also like

Aerial photo of downtown Tallahassee, Florida and the State Capitol
Death of Florida official in the Capitol raises questions, calls for transparency

Listen:   A Florida official was dead or dying in...

Three women in a radio studio, with headphones on, listening to a caller and waiting to respond on two microphones.
Tampa 5 protestors talk about nationwide support, free speech in Florida and more

July selection starts on Dec. 12 in the trial of...

The Scoop: WMNF Daily News Digest
The Scoop: Fri., December 1, 2023 Tampa Bay & Florida headlines by WMNF

Florida GOP chair is subject of rape investigation The chair...

Monique Worrell
Ron DeSantis’ suspension of Monique Worrell is challenged on due process and First Amendment grounds

The Southern Poverty Law Center case contends DeSantis' suspension of...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram