Ventura County home care workers reach tentative agreement with County Board of Supervisors regarding higher pay

VENTURA, Calif.— Vickey Manning is a mom first, but like many home care workers, she wears several hats. 
 
“We're psychologists, we're honorary doctors, honorary nurses, we're massage therapists, we're social workers, we're you name it. We're doing it,” said Manning.
 
Manning is 77, and takes care of her 58 year old son Michael, who has multiple sclerosis and is bed ridden, which is a physically demanding task. 
 
“You have to do catheter work. There's medications, there's injections, you have to do a range of motion getting the body, you know, as comfortable as you can,” said Manning.
 
And the work doesn’t stop there. Manning says home care providers also have to tend to the emotional needs of their clients.
 
Right now, in home health supportive services workers— most of them women of color— make $18.25 an hour.
 
“So many of our people cannot live off of that. And then we have things in place like caps, where you can only go so far when you're in negotiations,” said Manning.
 
If the tentative contract is ratified, caregivers are expected to earn $19.55 an hour by February 2025 and $20.57 and hour by July 2026. 
 
Money dedicated to job specific-trainings will increase from $10,000 dollars to $20,000 dollars per year. 
 
The training ranges from administering medication to mental health support.
 
“Because of COVID and other life issues, a lot of our people need mental health, you know, mental health training and how to not only take care of yourself, but how to help those that you're caring for as well,” said Manning.
 
The new contract will raise standards for close to 8,000 in home health supportive services workers who provide long term care in Ventura County.