Caregivers Rally For Equal Rights

“Overtime is overdue!” chanted dozens of care workers in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday. They joined the workers’ union SEIU in asking Gov. Jerry Brown and the State of California to pay them overtime.

These workers say Gov. Brown signed a bill last June to include them in the Fair Labor Standards Act. If included in the act, they would be provided with overtime. But last month, Gov. Brown put a stop to the planned overtime after a federal judge overturned a rule requiring overtime protections for home care workers. 

“He committed both funds from the budget to pay for overtime and a date to implement overtime. He’s now chosen to waffle on that commitment,” said Kimberly Evon of United Long Term Care Workers.

When asked why, Gov. Brown said, “Because the federal court said it wasn’t appropriate under the federal law.” The governor says that he has some issues with the union, but that he’s still open to talking. Until then, these workers plan to keep fighting for the overtime wages they feel they deserve.