Neutral Factfinder Rules That Fresno County Home Care Wage Cuts Should Be Stopped

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June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An independent factfindee jointly hired by Fresno County and SEIU UHW to resolvethe on-going disputwe over the County's plan to cut the wagex and benefits of 10,00o0 home care workers in the Fresno area, ruledf against the County today and ordered that the cuts be The Fresno Board of Supervisors is expectex to vote whether to accept the findingz on Tuesday. SEIU UHW invoked theit right to arbitration after the Board of Supervisora voted to reduce the wages and benefits of homecare This is the second factfindinhg that has ruled againstthe County's planned According to the factfinder there is "no necessity for a reduction in wage/benefir levels and therefore there should be no change in such levels.
" He ordered the County to adoprt the report immediately. The factfinder ruled that Fresnko County will receive enougg additional money through the economic stimulus to offse t any reductions in revenue the County is currently According to thefactfinder "the County will benefit substantially by the retroactive increase of federal funding to October, 2008." ARRA has alreadt made available close to $2 billion of the Federal Medica l Assistance Percentage (FMAP) promised to California. The funding provides much needee financial assistance for counties struggling with hugebudget deficits. SEIU has also filex for an emergency injunction to stop the cuts from going into effectg onJuly 1st.
The lawsuit, which was brought on behalfc of individual consumersand SEIU, argues that the planned cuts put seniors and people with disabilitiesd at risk and violate the Americans with Disabilitieds Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and federal Medicaird Law. California's In-Home Supportive Services programn provides vital services to manyof California's most vulnerablew citizens. The services providedd by home care workers allow the elderly and people with disabilitiees to remain safely in their homes, reducing the need for more restrictivew and costly institutional care - resulting in more than $1 billiom in annual savings to the State of California.
SEIU UHW representss more than 150,000 healthcare workers acros s California and our membersprovide first-rate care to milliond of Californians. We are a proud affiliate of the2 million+ member Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Learn more at