Do Walmart Cashiers Earn More Than RivCo's In-Home Caregivers?

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Unionized Riverside County employees who provide in-home care to low-income disabled and elderly residents got a tentative pay increase that puts the much-needed workers closer to a living wage — but there is still a long way to go.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a tentative employment agreement with United Domestic Workers AFCSME Local 3930 for three years of wage increases for In-Home Supportive Services employees. The wage increases will push the hourly pay for IHSS providers up by $2.50 over three years — from $16 per hour to $18.50 per hour, according to Matthew Maldonado, the union's director of internal operations.

"The increase is very significant. IHSS providers will finally get in the right direction toward a living wage," Maldonado said. "For years, the county has not focused on this program. Today, the board took a different approach."

Under Tuesday's tentative agreement, the hourly wage for IHSS providers will increase to $16.75 later this year, then to $17.50 in January 2024. The final $1 hourly increase in January 2025 will bring the hourly wage to $18.50. The final $1 increase is contingent upon the state increasing the hourly cap for IHSS providers, as the state partially funds IHSS wages.

Still, the increased rate falls well below California's living wage, according to MIT's Living Wage Calculator. The Golden State's living wage is currently $21.24 an hour for a single adult with no children, the calculator shows. The living wage is higher for parents with kids at home.

Maldonado said it took the coronavirus to raise IHSS providers to the level of "essential workers" in the county. Pre-pandemic, providers were not even given personal protective equipment, he said.

Under the new agreement, PPE will be provided. Additionally, the contract includes increased contributions to a health insurance fund developed by the county and administered by UDW. The health insurance contributions will be $.71 per hour, up from $.57 per hour. Life insurance benefits will also be provided.

Currently, there are approximately 35,000 unionized IHSS providers countywide, Maldonado said.

Under the tentative agreement, the IHSS program will cost the county more than $9.1 million this fiscal year, $17.4 million next fiscal year, and $29.1 million the following year. These figures represent the county’s costs, which account for 16 percent of the entire contract. The federal government will cover 50 percent of the costs, and the state will cover 34 percent, according to county officials.

Tuesday's tentative agreement — which still needs approval by union members and the state, as well as a final Board of Supervisors signoff — could make the difference in retaining IHSS providers, many of whom have families of their own to care for.

"They give up a lot to care for others," Maldonado said. "Their work also helps keep loved ones at home and out of institutions. But no one is going to do this work for minimum wage. Providers will take a job at Walmart instead, which offers signing bonuses and health insurance."

California minimum wage is $15.50 an hour. A quick scan of Walmart's career portal shows part-time cashier jobs in Riverside County pay up to $18 an hour.

"In-home workers perform a critical service to help elderly and disabled residents safely stay in their homes," Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin Jeffries said in a released statement. "This tentative agreement acknowledges the difficult service these providers offer, as well as the need to attract more workers for the thousands of elderly residents currently waiting for a caregiver."