SACRAMENTO – As reported in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, Democratic state lawmakers recently introduced legislation to mandate a $25 minimum wage for health workers and support staffers.
“State Sen. María Elena Durazo’s bill would require health facilities and home health agencies to give raises to many support employees, including nurse technicians, housekeepers, security guards, food workers and laundry providers,” writes Samantha Young of the L.A. Times. “The Los Angeles Democrat said workers remain underpaid even as they play a crucial role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Many who earn close to the state’s $15.50 minimum wage, she said, struggle with inflation.”
According to the Times, the bill is backed by the “influential Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents roughly 100,000 workers statewide.” Similar proposals have previously faced strong opposition from the health industry. Read the full story here.
