NY Times: Obama’s Leadership Needed to Improve Home Care Wages
President Obama announcing his support for federal minimum wage and overtime for home care workers on December 15, 2011.
A New York Times editorial published on April 15 explains that the proposed rule to extend home care workers minimum wage and overtime protections is still just a proposal and will take “Obama’s engaged leadership to ensure that the long-overdue new rules” are actually implemented.
The editorial, “Keeping a Promise to Home Care Aides,” tracks failed efforts to extend home care workers fair pay in the past, and highlights the hurdles that still lay ahead.
The Times warns that while most of the thousands of public comments on the proposal are supportive, “The problem is that the new rules have yet to be finalized, and could still be derailed or watered down.”
The editorial references for-profit home care franchisees’ ongoing opposition to extending home care workers fair pay and praises the advocates’ efforts.
“This time the around, proponents for change have been better organized and armed with research to rebut such claims,” it says, linking to two PHI reports and NELP testimony at a recent House hearing.
This editorial marks the sixth time that The New York Times published an editorial in support of extending home care workers fair pay.
[box type=”info”]Visit PHI’s Campaign for Fair Pay for comprehensive information about the companionship exemption and the home care workforce.[/box]
— by Deane Beebe
