The New York City Council - File #: Res 0324-2004

• File #: Res 0324-2004
• Version: *
• Name: Offering the Council's full support for the "Invisible No More" campaign.
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• Committee: Committee on Health
• On agenda: 5/5/2004
• Title: Resolution offering the Council’s full support for the “Invisible No More!” campaign that is dedicated to winning home health aide contracts that mandate a Living Wage of $10 an hour by 2006, health benefits for home health aides and their families, paid vacation time and sick leave.
• Sponsors: Helen D. Foster, Annabel Palma, Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Maria Baez, Charles Barron, Tracy L. Boyland, Lewis A. Fidler, Alan J. Gerson, Letitia James, Allan W. Jennings, Jr., G. Oliver Koppell, Margarita Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Hiram Monserrate, Bill Perkins, Philip Reed, Diana Reyna, Joel Rivera, James Sanders, Jr., Larry B. Seabrook, Jose M. Serrano, Albert Vann, David I. Weprin, David Yassky, Bill De Blasio, James F. Gennaro, John C. Liu, Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Vincent J. Gentile, Robert Jackson, Yvette D. Clarke, Christine C. Quinn, Kendall Stewart, Gale A. Brewer, Sara M. Gonzalez, Melinda R. Katz, Helen Sears, Gifford Miller, Betsy Gotbaum
• Council Member Sponsors: 39

Date	Ver.	Prime Sponsor	Action By	Action	Result
6/28/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	City Council	Approved, by Council	Pass
6/24/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	City Council	Laid Over by Council
6/24/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	Committee on Health	Approved by Committee	Pass
6/24/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	Committee on Health	Hearing Held by Committee
5/5/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
5/5/2004	*	Helen D. Foster	City Council	Introduced by Council

Res. No. 324

Resolution offering the Council’s full support for the “Invisible No More!” campaign that is dedicated to winning home health aide contracts that mandate a Living Wage of $10 an hour by 2006, health benefits for home health aides and their families, paid vacation time and sick leave.

By Council Members Foster, Palma, Addabbo, Baez, Barron, Boyland, Fidler, Gerson, James, Jennings, Koppell, Lopez, Martinez, Monserrate, Perkins, Reed, Reyna, Rivera, Sanders, Seabrook, Serrano, Vann, Weprin, Yassky, DeBlasio, Gennaro, Liu, Comrie, Gentile, Jackson, Clarke, Quinn, Stewart, Brewer, Gonzalez, Katz, Sears, The Speaker (Council Member Miller) and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

Whereas, While home health aides provide compassionate care for people discharged from hospitals and nursing homes who need ongoing medical and personal assistance in their homes, they are often not provided with health benefits for themselves; and

Whereas, According to the New York Department of Labor statistics, home health aides working in New York City are among the lowest paid workers in the State, often earning less than $7.00 an hour (or about $12,500 a year) with no health, pension, paid sick or vacation time benefits; and

 Whereas, According to the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, such poor pay and benefits result in high rates of turnover of workers - as much as 50 percent to 60 percent annually; and

Whereas, Furthermore, Medicaid dollars fund more than half of the home care services provided in New York State; and

Whereas, According to 1199 SEIU’s report entitled, “The Plight of New York’s Home Health Aides,” home health aides are left with little compensation in terms of wages and benefits because a complicated regulatory system allows home health agencies to siphon off as much as two thirds of the funding received from Medicaid for administrative overhead - including exorbitant executive salaries - before the money reaches those who actually provide the services; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York offers the Council’s full support for the “Invisible No More!” campaign that is dedicated to winning home health aide contracts that mandate a Living Wage of $10 an hour by 2006, health benefits for home health aides and their families, paid vacation time and sick leave.

DP

LS# 3586

4/29/04