Victory for Indiana Help At Home Workers – Contract Ratified!

21.11.09 IN HAH Victory Ratified

Update 11/08/21: On November 8th, members voted overwhelmingly to approve a new contract!

On October 28, we reached a tentative agreement with Help at Home that delivers raises for many and an agreement that sets up a process for us to win increases when more federal funding becomes available, which it will. And over the past few days, members voted YES to approve these raises!

What we won:

  • For Direct Service Providers: a $2.50 an hour raise and starting wage of $15 an hour
  • For Home Health Care Aides: a $0.25 an hour raise and starting wage of $12.75 an hour
  • For Homemaker / Attendant Care workers: The State of Indiana did not increase the rate for these services this year. However, we reached an agreement to negotiate raises when additional federal funding becomes available.

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Effective July 1, 2021, bargaining unit employees shall be paid based on the following wage scale:

Years of Service Homemaker & Attendant Care**Home Health AideDirect Service Providers (DSP/DD)
0$11.00 $12.75 $15.00 
1$11.20 $12.95 $15.20 
2$11.40 $13.15 $15.40 
3$11.60 $13.35 $15.60 
4$11.80 $13.55 $15.80 
5$12.00 $13.75 $16.00 
6$12.20 $13.95 $16.20 
7$12.40 $14.15 $16.40 
8$12.60 $14.35 $16.60 
9$12.80 $14.55 $16.80 
10$13.00 $14.75 $17.00 
11$13.20 $14.95 $17.20 
12$13.40 $15.15 $17.40 
13$13.60 $15.35 $17.60 
14$13.80 $15.55 $17.80 
15$14.00 $15.75 $18.00 
16$14.20 $15.95 $18.20 
17$14.40 $16.15 $18.40 
18$14.60 $16.35 $18.60 
19$14.80 $16.55 $18.80 
20$15.00 $16.75 $19.00 

The Union and the Employer shall coordinate and partner in lobbying the State of Indiana and other relevant funding sources for increases in reimbursement rates associated with Homemaker and Attendant Care Services.

The above wage scale shall continue with increments of $.20 for each additional year of seniority.

Retroactive payment of wages:
Retroactive pay applies to Home Health Aides & Direct Service Providers actively working on or after July 1, 2021.

For the first time in Indiana Home Care history, we secured legally binding language that ensures Help at Home apply & bargain with your Union over any future federal funding that is designated for home care workers! This is the language that grants us these rights:

Bonuses/Additional Funds for Frontline Workers:
The Union and the Employer recognize that the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) anticipates paying bonus grants to home and community-based service (HCBS) workers for their service during the Covid pandemic based on applications from their employer; and further, recognize that there may be additional money made available to the Employer for use in compensating Employees through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The Union and the Employer have a shared interest in maximizing these grants and/or additional money to Employees, and therefore agree:

1. The Employer will apply for the maximum amount of grants or additional money potentially available to Employees from the sources identified above, except as otherwise provided by this Section. If the Employer intends not to apply for the maximum amount of grants/money potentially available to Employees, the Employer will immediately notify the Union of that intent, provide a detailed description of the reasons for failing to apply, and offer to meet and confer with the Union to address the Employer’s concerns with the objective of maximizing the amount of money made available to Employees.  If the Employer and Union cannot agree whether or to what extent the Employer will apply for available grants/money, the Union shall have the right to reopen the Agreement solely with respect to that issue.  In all cases where the Employer applies for available grants/money, the Union will partner with the Employer to educate stakeholders and the public about the benefits to workers and the community at large in applying for and receiving such grants/money.

In the event the Employer becomes aware of deadlines or other conditions imposed by the funding source that cannot be met before any required bargaining is exhausted, the Employer will notify the Union and such bargaining shall be expedited, and the Union will not withhold consent to interim implementation (i.e., before exhaustion of bargaining) of compensation improvements when necessary to avoid forfeiture of funds that would otherwise be available for employees, provided that such consent shall not be construed as limiting the parties’ ability to negotiate compensation improvements different than or in addition to the interim improvements.

2. The Employer will make information on grants applied for and grants received available to the Union.

3. The Union and the Employer will meet and bargain over how the bonus grants are paid.