Issued May 27, 2021
Washington, DC - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement today after Senate Republicans proposed another unserious jobs plan:
“Any jobs plan that leaves behind the majority-women-of-color home care workforce cannot be considered a serious jobs plan. That’s never been more true than after the last year of reckoning with structural racism, sexism and economic inequities in our country as essential workers risked their lives to keep the country running.
“The American Jobs Plan would change the game for millions of workers and countless families who depend on home- and community-based care services. It represents the kind of bold, transformative solutions we need to make our economy work for everyone.
“Any so-called compromise that leaves out this investment in our care workers is tantamount to turning our backs on the Black, Latinx, Asian and immigrant women who got us through the pandemic and decided the 2020 election. Voters of all races overwhelmingly support this package in full, and they don’t care about bipartisanship if it means workers are left underpaid and underprotected. With 2022 just around the corner, now is the time to meet the moment—home care workers should be respected, protected, and paid.”