Kings County caregivers urge board to deliver meaningful IHSS wage proposal
September 30, 2026 | Kings County, California
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Dozens of caregivers and union representatives urged the Kings County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 29 to negotiate higher pay and better benefits for in‑home supportive services (IHSS) providers.
Catherine Camp, a long‑time caregiver, told the board, “I heard someone recently say that IHSS providers are just being paid to take care of their own children, and that's not true.” She described giving up jobs to care for relatives and said current pay “is barely above minimum wage.” Julio Gudinez, a member of SEIU Local 2000’s bargaining team, told the board, “This week, I pawned my a ring my mother gave me just to put gas in my car,” and asked supervisors to “bring a meaningful wage proposal to the bargaining table.”
Other speakers — including Beatrice Kay Fernandez, Cecilia Guzman and Tasha Hall — related similar stories about financial strain, caregiving for seniors or people with disabilities, and the risk that recipients will be harmed if caregivers cannot remain in the workforce. Several speakers noted that other California counties have adopted stronger contracts and urged Kings County to follow suit.
Speakers asked the board to pair public praise for caregivers with concrete funding and a clear timeline for contract action. The board took no formal action on wages at the meeting; speakers said they will continue advocacy, including possible public demonstrations if negotiations do not yield what they call a fair contract.
The public comment period included an exchange about union leadership and transparency; an online participant, Ruby Trava Lapio, urged clearer, substantive bargaining and said that labeling a process a "negotiation" without meaningful movement does not make it one.
Catherine Camp, a long‑time caregiver, told the board, “I heard someone recently say that IHSS providers are just being paid to take care of their own children, and that's not true.” She described giving up jobs to care for relatives and said current pay “is barely above minimum wage.” Julio Gudinez, a member of SEIU Local 2000’s bargaining team, told the board, “This week, I pawned my a ring my mother gave me just to put gas in my car,” and asked supervisors to “bring a meaningful wage proposal to the bargaining table.”
Other speakers — including Beatrice Kay Fernandez, Cecilia Guzman and Tasha Hall — related similar stories about financial strain, caregiving for seniors or people with disabilities, and the risk that recipients will be harmed if caregivers cannot remain in the workforce. Several speakers noted that other California counties have adopted stronger contracts and urged Kings County to follow suit.
Speakers asked the board to pair public praise for caregivers with concrete funding and a clear timeline for contract action. The board took no formal action on wages at the meeting; speakers said they will continue advocacy, including possible public demonstrations if negotiations do not yield what they call a fair contract.
The public comment period included an exchange about union leadership and transparency; an online participant, Ruby Trava Lapio, urged clearer, substantive bargaining and said that labeling a process a "negotiation" without meaningful movement does not make it one.
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