‘Shame on You’ Sacramento County Supervisors told by SEUI Local 2015 leader
As they have several times this year, Service Employees International Union Local 2015 members attended the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors meeting pleading their case for improved pay and benefits for in-home supportive services (IHSS) workers. One of today’s speakers making the case for her members was SEIU Local 2015 executive vice president Kim Evon.
During her presentation, Evon noted four of the five supervisors (Supervisor Sue Frost voted no) granted themselves a 36 percent pay raise earlier this year. Evon compared that to the $1 raise being offered by the county to the IHHS workers, who provide in-home services to disabled Sacramento County residents.
In a fiery presentation, Evon scolded the supervisors, saying, “Shame on you,” for over 2 million hours of unfulfilled in-home service needs generated by staffing shortages caused by low wages and benefits.
“We can’t keep or attract people to poverty-wage work in this county,” she said.
Evon noted the county had offered the workers a six percent increase over three years, which would make their hourly wages $17.50, saying that was enough of a raise,
“But [that’s] not enough for you when you expedited your own 36 percent increase to your wages – shame on you,” Evon said.
As she concluded her remarks, Evon told the supervisors to “get to work” to help her membership. Several people in the supervisors’ chamber followed her comments chanting, “get to work” and “shame on you.”
Along with the comments made at this morning’s meetings, SEIU 2015 members and their supporters camped outside the chambers at the Sacramento County Administration Building on H Street. Additionally, the union has made the second mailing to Sacramento County voters in recent months, arguing their case for improved wages and benefits (see below).
Evon’s entire presentation can be seen in the video.
