Federal Way (July 25, 2012) – SEIU Healthcare 775NW, the state’s largest union representing more than 42,000 long-term care workers, launched a new website today – Washington Values Care or www.washingtonvaluescare.com – to educate the public on critical long-term care issues. The site includes information about candidates who will do the most to ensure quality care for seniors and people with disabilities and provide a stable workforce for the growing senior population.
“The number of seniors in Washington State will double over the next 20 years. That means we’ll need to recruit hundreds of thousands of home care aides to care for them,” said SEIU Healthcare 775NW Vice-President Adam Glickman. “Washington Values Care is a essential resource for seniors and other voters who want to know which candidates are going to work towards lifting caregivers out of poverty, professionalizing the long-term care workforce and ensuring quality care for our aging population.”
To raise awareness about the website, SEIU 775 launched a web-ad campaign in three districts with competitive primaries – LD 11, 35, and 36 – directing voters to the website and information about the candidates SEIU 775 has endorsed: Bobby Virk in LD 11, Jeff Davis in LD 35 and Noel Frame in LD 36. These candidates will most stand up for quality care and low-wage caregivers, long-term care workers believe.
Washington Values Care also contains information on where the gubernatorial candidates stand on long-term care issues. Democrat Jay Inslee, for example, supported improved training and federal criminal background checks for long-term care workers, while Republican Rob McKenna opposed these new standards and background checks.
The site will be a hub of information throughout the election for voters to learn where candidates for legislature and statewide office stand on issues affecting long-term care for vulnerable residents.