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Korean: 함께 더욱 강하게 SEIU 775 뉴스레터 여름호
Russian: Наша сила — в единстве! Летняя новостная рассылка от SEIU 775
Simplified Chinese: 团结使我们更强大：SEIU 775 夏季内部通讯
Spanish: Juntos somos más fuertes: El boletín informativo de verano de SEIU 775
Vietnamese: Cùng Nhau Lớn Mạnh: Bản Tin Mùa Hè Của SEIU 775
SEIU 775 Caregivers,
The past few months have been a testament to our collective power. Caregivers, our clients, and our communities – especially our immigrant communities – have been under attack. We’ve had to be louder, stand taller, rally bigger, and do what we do best – organize as a Union. And thanks to the 55,000 caregivers in our Union, we are proud that we won a lot in our state legislative sessions.
In Washington, despite a $15 billion budget shortfall, we secured a huge victory with a fully funded home care rate for the next two years. In Montana, caregivers fought for and won Medicaid expansion. And in Alaska, we passed a resolution in support of Medicaid with bi-partisan support in both chambers.
Outside of our legislative wins, we’ve finished bargaining with CDWA and have secured a contract that includes wage increases, language justice, and additional improvements. We also finished bargaining with 27 nursing homes—four of which won our first Union contract—and won wage increases of up to 20 percent! Agency bargaining in Washington is now underway, and bargaining in Montana is starting later this year.
Now, let’s be clear, we didn’t win everything we wanted. We’re still fighting for affordable healthcare for Nursing Home workers and will come back again next year to take another go at it.
Republicans in Congress have passed the Big Ugly Bill, a devastating piece of legislation that cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid: the affordable lifesaving health insurance that millions of Americans – seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, kids, those in recovery, and working people – depend on. It is the largest and most sweeping cut to our healthcare system in American history, with nearly 16 million Americans expected to lose coverage – all to fund massive tax breaks for billionaires.
Caregivers in Washington, Montana, and Alaska have spent months rallying, making thousands of calls, and sending hundreds of messages to members of Congress with one united demand: no cuts to Medicaid.
We have tough battles ahead, but I am confident in our strength. Our Union is a powerful force, and together, we will continue to win for caregivers.
In Solidarity,
Sterling Harders
SEIU 775 President
The 2025 Washington Legislative Session: Making Our Voices Heard
I know what’s at stake when legislators don’t support us. I live in a household with four incomes, and it’s still difficult to find housing we can afford. My client lives in a mobile home park and every year, her landlord raises the rent higher than they’re supposed to. I worry for her because if it gets too expensive for her and she can’t pay, she’ll be homeless. This legislative session in Washington, with rent stabilization and affordable housing on the table, I knew I had to do something.
So, I went to Purple Presence to speak with my legislators. One of the legislators shared that his brother was recently disabled and couldn’t find a caregiver, so his sister made the hard choice to give up her career to care for him. Because the caregiver shortage had a direct impact on his family, he could see why it’s so important to support caregivers through legislation.
But not everyone understands the sacrifices families make when caring for their loved ones. That’s why we need to share our stories!
If we don’t, there is no opportunity for change. The people who trust us to be their caregivers are the most vulnerable people in our society. We owe it to them and ourselves to use our voices to speak up.
– Kathleen S. (she/her), IP, Vancouver, WA
The Washington State Legislature passed a budget that fully funds the 2025-2027 Home Care Rate, passed “Let Us Work” legislation to streamline the background check process , strengthened WA Cares, and avoided major cuts to Nursing Home funding. To view a full recap of our work this session, go to seiu775.org/2025waleg
Our Fight to Protect Medicaid
I’m in this fight for my mother, my daughter, and everyone else that relies on Medicaid. My mother is a breast cancer survivor and is currently fighting blood cancer and kidney failure. My daughter, who just turned 18, has a rare stomach disease, and without Medicaid, she wouldn’t be able to access treatment.
My fellow caregivers and I went to Washington, D.C. earlier this year to rally in support of Medicaid, because we are determined to protect our families and communities. I spoke with my representative, Nick Begich, and told him how my mother and daughter depend on Medicaid.
He held my shoulder and told me that he 100% backed us. But when it came time to vote on the House-proposed $715 billion cuts to Medicaid – to do the thing that mattered – he voted against us.
This experience made me more determined. Without Medicaid, we’re signing a lot of people’s death certificates. No one should have to worry about medical care.
We can’t be intimidated; we can’t give up. We’re fighting for a good cause – our future. And I’m proud of the work we’ve done and are continuing to do.
– Essie F. (she/her), In-home Provider, Fairbanks, AK
Go to seiu775.org/medicaid for more information.
Witnessing a Victory at the Montana State Capitol
Losing Medicaid could take my job from me and put my clients out on the street. I’m low-income, and I also depend on Medicaid. I was feeling scared, but then I heard about our Montana Lobby Day and knew that this was my chance to do something.
At our Lobby Day in Helena, caregivers came together to speak with our representatives about our clients and how they need Medicaid to continue to receive care. One of my most memorable moments was a conversation I had with one of our senators. She told me how she supported us and supported Medicaid. In that moment, we were equals, and she made me feel recognized for my work.
In 2015, the Montana legislature voted to expand Medicaid eligibility – but this was set to expire. So another highlight of our lobby day was watching the Senate vote, debate, and approve lifting the sunset on Medicaid expansion in Montana! We got to hear both sides’ arguments and witness an amazing step in the right direction. This was an incredible win and a major relief for me and all other Montanans who depend on Medicaid to live.
This experience encouraged me to keep going, because we still must fight to protect Medicaid funding at the federal level. We’ve seen how big an impact we can make if we work together and speak up! I’m excited to see what the future holds for us and for us to keep making caregiving a good career.
– Lexy G. (she/her), Advanced Habilitation Technician, Great Falls, MT
In the Montana State Legislature, we won a 6% increase of the biennium provider rate (3% per year) and created a reporting system for Medicaid cost reports to help assess the need for increased provider rates, which are significant steps towards paying caregivers the wages we deserve!
Justice for Immigrants
Defending immigration against attacks is important to me, because it’s a personal attack. When my parents and I came to this country, we were undocumented. To see all these things happening in my community now – it’s very upsetting. I feel like every day I hear another story about someone being deported. It feels like people don’t have rights, and we’re being treated like animals. People come here in search of a better life, and we work so hard to make a good life for ourselves and our families. Nothing has been given to us here. And yet, it doesn’t seem to matter in the eyes of our government.
Many of us caregivers are immigrants. If we get deported, then the people who need care in this country will suffer. We know that the work we do is hard, and not a lot of people want to do it. So if a lot of us caregivers are forced out of the country, who will step up to do this work? Who will take care of our aging population? These are questions we need to challenge our lawmakers with because right now, we’re not getting that support from them.
It’s easy to feel hopeless and feel like our hands are tied. But I know we’re not going to give up, and we will keep fighting for what’s right. Why? Because we are SEIU 775, and our Union has our backs. The more they try to tear us down, the more resilient we will be.
– Nelly P. (she/her), IP and AP, Sunnyside, WA
No matter your immigration status, you are protected by the U.S. Constitution. Knowing your rights can keep you and your family safe. For helpful resources, go to seiu775.org/immigration-defense
