By Coston Plummer, Chicago home care worker
Here’s what I am very passionate about: People who need care do better when they’re at home with their families and loved ones.
I was my late brother’s primary caregiver. He was non-verbal, with a learning disability, which made it difficult for him to express himself and for others to know what he needed. The work I did allowed him to live at home with family who naturally understood him best. I was his hands, his feet, his voice to ensure his needs were met.
As a home care worker, I became active in my union because I was inspired by my fellow union members' dedication to protecting access to these essential programs.
No One Can Afford to Wait
When the #CareCantWait national bus tour kicked off from my town of Chicago, just a few days after the Democratic National Convention, I was honored to speak out and share my story alongside other care workers and those who rely on care. I was so energized by the number of people who showed up to fight for care.
Our nation is in the midst of a care crisis; one that is made worse by a shortage of good care jobs. Everybody will come to rely on care services at some point in their lives, or knows somebody who will. It could be me someday. That’s why I’m fighting to make sure care is there now and in the future. To meet this demand, all care workers should have a path to a union with better pay, benefits and training. Care can’t wait, and neither can we.
The stories from caregivers and care consumers poured out on bus tour stops in Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Philadelphia, NYC, Syracuse, Raleigh and Atlanta. Here are just a few excerpts from those stops:
“This is the case for so many home care workers. And we don’t have healthcare or sick days, we don’t have time off, we don’t have opportunities to grow in our careers, and in Michigan, we don’t have a union. It’s not fair, and it makes me angry. I want to know why we are treated like we don’t matter, or why we get taken advantage of. We give people the gift of a good life… why can’t we make a good life for ourselves?” - Michael Ewing, Grand Rapids, MI
"Finding reliable child care has been a major battle. The shortage of programs, combined with low wages and poor benefits for child care workers, means many are leaving the field, and centers are closing. This isn’t just a job crisis—it’s a crisis of good union jobs. If child care workers can’t stay in their jobs, parents like me are left without options." - Eshawney Gaston, Raleigh, NC
"As we continue to ride the wave of energy and optimism from the Democratic National Convention, we must hold our elected officials accountable to deliver on the things we need. We must improve access to quality child care and make sure that all child care jobs are GOOD UNION JOBS." - Josephine Pokuaa, NYC
Do you know what else showed up on this bus tour—the dancing, the music, and the joy! We celebrated our lifted voices and our resolve!!
And it certainly made me smile to have elected officials fighting with us. Not to mention care champions VP Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz who are campaigning for the highest elected positions in our country. Care is now in the national spotlight!
I won't be happy until all workers and people needing care services get what we need. But we ARE making strides and we HAVE to keep fighting because millionaires and billionaires are against us. The Care Can’t Wait bus tour was just one part of our fight to win better care, and I'm so glad we're bringing people to our side.
