Essential workers applaud Walz plan that has corporations & super wealthy pay their fair share
SAINT PAUL – Essential workers in Minnesota who are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) praised Governor Walz’s budget that works to help our state begin to recover from COVID by prioritizing support for the essential workers who have kept our state running during this pandemic.
By asking millionaires and big corporations to pay their fair share in taxes, the budget supports the healthcare workers, school employees and property service workers of SEIU by pushing policies like funding for education and nursing homes, Paid Family & Medical Leave, emergency COVID sick time and more.A highlight of the budget is the inclusion of the historic new contract for over 20,000 home care workers with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota that would lift wages for this critical work to $15.25 by 2022, increase PTO and time-and-a-half holidays and boost training for a workforce of mostly women and people of color who have continued providing world-class care to Minnesota seniors and people with disabilities throughout the pandemic.
Home care worker Antionetta Giovanni shared what it would mean for frontline essential workers like her to see this contract get passed by the legislature and signed into law:
“In Minnesota we want a state where every person can get the care they need, no matter where we live, what we look like or how much money we have. Governor Walz’s budget includes the home care contract that will help move us towards that reality by raising the wage floor to $15.25, increasing PTO and time-and-a-half holidays and boosting training. Home care workers have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic – and before – making sure seniors and people with disabilities can live at home with dignity and respect. I’m thankful this budget works to support that work,” said Giovanni, who cares for her adult son who requires full-time care to be able to remain in his home. “I’m also happy to hear that Governor Walz has made the decision to push for the wealthiest Minnesotans and corporations to pay more in taxes to make sure all of us can thrive. This pandemic has seen so many of us struggling to get by while the rich got richer. It’s great that this budget asks more of those who have so much and works to share the wealth and fund our future.”
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