Help for Heroes: Unions take aim at what ails the U.S. health care system.

AuthorJohnson, Sharon

For the past sixteen years, Nicole Bongiovanni has been a lifeline for homebound people struggling with the ravages of aging, devastating disabilities, and chronic health conditions. But the pandemic proved to be her greatest challenge.

Bongiovanni says she spent seventy-three hours a week caring for three clients in southeast Connecticut. The clients were dependent on her for everything from eating, bathing, and using the bathroom to maintaining their precarious health and following safety protocols correctly. She did all this amidst the risk of COVID-19, which loomed large over her clients and herself.

"They lack hope and need a lot of emotional support," Bongiovanni says in a phone interview. "One is a child who has severe disabilities; another is a paralyzed adult."

The strain took its toll: Bongiovanni suffered a heart attack, which she says left her with $25,000 in debt to the hospital.

"I had no choice but to return to work five days after I was released," she explains. "I have no sick days, employer-provided health insurance, or retirement savings. I earn $16.25 an hour, which is barely enough to keep food on the table. An individual health insurance policy would have consumed half my take-home pay."

But Bongiovannis finances may improve, thanks to her membership in the New England Health Care Workers Union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 1199, which is championing an economic bill of rights for health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

In May, the union scored a significant victory when it negotiated a contract for 2,800 workers at twenty-six Connecticut nursing homes. In addition to a minimum hourly wage of $20 for a certified personal nurse assistant and $30 per hour for a licensed practical nurse, the contract also includes medical insurance, retirement benefits, paid sick days, and funds for advanced training.

The union is now pushing a similar package for the 10,000 independent personal care attendants like Bongiovanni who care for 6,000 individuals across the state. On August 3, a group of these personal care attendants rallied at the Hartford residence of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, a Democrat; more than a dozen were issued tickets for trespassing. They called on the state of Connecticut to use the $200 million it received in federal COVID-19 relief funds to finance wage increases and benefit packages for home health care aides.

The pandemic has been a game changer for health care unions, says Rob Baril, president of SEIU District 1199 NE. It highlighted the dedication and skill of workers who put their lives on the line every day in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care, he explains in a phone...

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