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As climate change conference opens, one CA city takes action; Israel and Hamas extend Gaza truce by one day in a last-minute deal; WV could lose hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding.

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An expulsion vote looms for Rep. George Santos, the Ohio Supreme Court dismisses lawsuits against district maps and the Supreme Court hears a case which could cut the power of federal agencies.

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Congress has iced the Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar, and opponents react to a road through Alaska's Brooks Range, long a dream destination for hunters and anglers.

Washington Home-Healthcare Providers Negotiate a Raise

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Monday, August 22, 2016   

OLYMPIA, Wash. - In the latest round of contract negotiations, Washington state agreed to the biggest pay raise yet for in-home healthcare providers. By the end of their contract in 2019, the average wage for caregivers paid by the state will top $16 an hour.

Melissa Ringer, a Washington State Individual Provider and member of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare 775 bargaining team, said the new contract legitimizes her profession in ways she hasn’t experienced before.

"It's a respectable field. It's something that I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to say that I do anymore - because I felt like we were considered glorified babysitters,” Ringer said. "These wins help caregivers to produce better caregivers."

The state-contracted caregivers represented in this contract work with elderly patients and children with disabilities, and includes some parents who provide care for their adult children with disabilities. Ringer said they'll now look to the Washington Legislature to ensure the new contract is funded for 2017.

The contract also includes an increase in paid time off, doubles the retirement funding from the state, and ensures a raise of 50 cents per hour for caregivers who complete certain advanced training.

As the average age of Washington's population rapidly rises, Ringer said politicians are changing how they see at-home caregivers.

"The Baby Boomers are aging out, and a lot of our politicians are now seeing this real world, what's happening with their families,” she said. "Family members need to be taken care of and we want good, quality caregivers to go in your home, and this contract helps us to produce those."

SEIU Healthcare 775 represents about 34,000 individual providers in Washington state.



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