Minimum wage: not an option for most homecare workers

[DainBramaged]

This summer, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) filed the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act (H.R. 5902), a bill that would extend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to include home healthcare workers.
This legislation would provide home care workers--who provide essential service to more than 13 million seniors and people with disabilities --federal minimum wage and overtime protections. Home care workers are currently excluded from the basic workplace standards generally taken for granted by most working people - and poor compensation has lead to a growing shortage of workers.

Passing the Sanchez bill will be difficult, but in the long run is crucial. That said, the Department of Labor is working on a way of fixing this problem that can deliver benefits to these workers far more quickly - a new regulation that can bring the vast majority of homecare workers minimum wage and overtime protection.

Before we explain that, how in 2011 is it even legal for home care workers to be excluded from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour?

http://www.seiu.org/2011/01/minimum-wage-homecare-workers.php

[Faux pas]

1. In Oregon we get 10.20 and hour, vacation & med insurance.

Of course it's better if you're in a 2 income family.

[Uben]

2. Who's gonna take care of the boomers?

We need the Gen Xers to work for less so us boomers can retire comfortably. Come on guys, take one for the team. Ha! Yeah, like that's gonna happen. It's a good thing it's only a couple of years till the 2012 apocalypse. I think I can hold out!

[OnionPatch]

3. What does it say about us as a people

when we can't even pay minimum wage to those who care for our elderly? Wages for child care workers are not much better. Our children, our parents, our disabled family members......apparently we don't value their care very much at all and I find that disgusting.