Despite a changing of the guard, Connecticut home health care workers still face payroll issues.

Personal care attendants dealt with late paychecks and pay errors with little response when the state worked with Allied Community Services.

Cynthia Johnson, a personal care assistant and member of the Service Employees International Union Local 1199 New England, cares for her daughter who has a rare seizure disorder and said payday delays were agonizing.

"Even though you turned in the paperwork that they wanted from you, you still had to hold your breath that Friday to make sure you got paid," Johnson recounted. "Sometimes we would get a notice from them saying, 'We'll be paying everybody at 5 p.m. instead of the direct deposit.'"

Though the state's Department of Social Service has since switched payroll contractors to GT Independence, some issues remain.

Johnson feels the new contractor is an improvement since she does not have to worry about getting paid on Friday. Given SEIU Local 1199NE has more than 12,000 members, some problems were expected, though Johnson and others hope they will not linger.

Along with the stress of worrying about money, the payroll problems home health care workers face affect their ability to care for people.

Jonathan Stakley, another personal care assistant and SEIU member, cares for his brother with Down syndrome and said tracking down Allied to deal with payroll issues cost him time when he needs to provide care.

"Dealing with my brother can be a challenge and I want to make sure I can give him all my attention," Stakley emphasized. "The other time, I have something hanging over my head like a storm; maybe not getting paid on time and having to deal with the chaos of getting a hold of somebody that still may not be able to rectify the problem in a timely manner."

Recently, some Connecticut consumers received emails stating their personal care attendants would not be paid due to questions about unresolved Medicaid eligibility. The union worked with the state to ensure all workers got paid.

Diedre Murch, home care director and vice president, SEIU Local 1199NE, said the union wants a better relationship with GT Independence and added some ways to do it include advance notice when Medicaid eligibility problems could disrupt services.

"It shouldn't take 4 months of requesting a meeting on a systemic problem to be able to speak to them directly," Murch argued. "Secondly, getting the local call center up and functional (with) people who are trained in contractual benefits and wages."


get more stories like this via email

Nurses in Minnesota and other parts of the country are calling attention to an issue felt by many parts of society - the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Last week, thousands of nurses around the U.S. held rallies, demanding the hospital industry ensure safeguards as AI technology finds its way into care settings.

Chris Rubesch, Minnesota Nurses Association President and cardiac nurse from Duluth, said he and his colleagues aren't opposed to AI innovation, but added the rapid pace of adoption requires deep analysis. He said administrators should know they simply can't replace decision-making by humans in critical moments.

"And it's quite common for the computer program that's already built in to accidentally misinterpret a heart rhythm, right? It happens. Machines aren't perfect," he explained.

Researchers have made progress in seeing AI help diagnose certain patients, such as those being treated for skin cancer. However, the Medical Group Management Association says it should still be a complementary tool, noting ethical considerations regarding patient data privacy.

Hospital systems are increasingly dealing with budget pressures, but Rubesch said finding efficiencies shouldn't come at the expense of patient care.

"Health care can't be boiled down to dollars and cents," he continued." These are human lives, not revenue-generating units."

Rubesch added that bargaining units for roughly 15,000 Minnesota nurses will be negotiating new contracts this spring, and he anticipates artificial intelligence will come up in those discussions.


get more stories like this via email

As President Donald Trump abandons a promise the U.S. made in Paris nearly a decade ago, organized workers across Colorado are joining forces to address a climate emergency which, according to global scientific consensus, threatens the very biosphere needed to sustain life as we know it.

Nate Bernstein, executive director of Climate Jobs Colorado, said today's economy is not working for all Coloradans. He believes ramping up clean energy production can help reduce income and racial inequality.

"As of 2018, we had the highest gap in equality and wealth in over 100 years," Bernstein pointed out. "One way that we can help bridge that gap is by creating good solid union jobs across the state of Colorado."

Trump has issued executive orders to achieve energy dominance by increasing production of oil, gas and coal. When burned, the fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. More than two centuries of industrial pollution has led to rising global temperatures and an increase in catastrophic events including massive wildfires, flooding, prolonged drought and polar vortexes.

Bernstein noted a worker-centered roadmap created in partnership with Cornell University would expand opportunities for high-paying careers to all Coloradans, including workers in rural parts of the state where coal-fired power plants are set to retire as cheaper energy sources come online.

"We know that workers that work in those facilities have the skill set and/or can be trained to operate stable energy like geothermal and other sources," Bernstein explained.

The coalition includes the Amalgamated Transit Union, Colorado AFL-CIO, Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Bernstein added they are working on a bill to end a 1943 law requiring a second, supermajority election to form a union.

"We're continuing to build the coalition to make sure that the laws enacted at the Capitol continue to be favorable for working people as well as the environment," Bernstein emphasized. "All while assuring that we close the gap on racial and economic inequity within our state."


get more stories like this via email

The Service Employees International Union is joining the AFL-CIO, a move both groups said will make it easier for more workers to unionize.

SEIU is the nation's largest union of health care workers, janitors and security officers, among others. Combined with the AFL-CIO, a federation of more than 60 national and international labor unions, the group now has 15 million members.

Alan Dubinsky, communications director for SEIU Local 49, representing Oregon and Southwest Washington, said the two unions have a history of working together and they share many of the same values.

"We want to unite people across class lines no matter where they live, no matter the color of their skin, who they love, so we can stand up to billionaire interest and corporate greed," Dubinsky explained.

Research shows although only one in 10 workers is currently part of a union, more than 60 million people said they would join a union if they could. In a statement, the AFL-CIO said it will fight for new rules to strengthen the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain.

Recent polls showed unions have near record-high favorability, with 67% of Americans approving of them. Last year had some major wins for labor, including The United Auto Workers, unions representing airline workers, and several Hollywood entertainment unions. Dubinsky noted rights for workers cannot be won alone.

"As working people, we all want the same things," Dubinsky contended. "We want jobs that are going to pay us enough to live. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care for ourselves, for our loved ones. "

When workers organize, research shows wages increase and working conditions improve. In 2024, petitions to form or join a union more than doubled from the previous year.