This Action Alert comes from the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State …
The final budget deadline is April 1, and we are not there yet. We need all hands on deck!
The NY Senate has included a version of #FairPay4HomeCare in their one-house budget, which would give much-needed pay raises to home care workers and PAs statewide - up to $9,000/year in some regions!
However, this means NOTHING without support from the Assembly.
The bill number for #FairPay4HomeCare in the Assembly is A6329 and it is sponsored by Assembly Member Gottfried.
We are on the verge of an unprecedented victory. If the Senate's budget is accepted by the Assembly and the Governor, we could see a $1.3 billion investment into home care and CDPA wages. Every worker in the state would get a raise, and no longer would we lose workers to fast food and retail jobs paying substantially more per hour.
We are still at the table because of you. The only way we win is if all of us keep this fight up through April 1.
In final hours of budget negotiations, things change by the second and a single person's story can sway a vote.
We need you to make 3 PHONE CALLS TODAY!
1. Call your Senator and thank them for supporting #FairPay4HomeCare and making it possible for this essential workforce to receive the higher pay they need. Remind them that they must hold strong to make sure this isn't forgotten.
2. Call your Assembly Member and urge them to:
Sponsor bill A6329 to support #FairPay4HomeCare, and Tell Speaker Carl Heastie that #FairPay4HomeCare is important legislation that must be included in the final budget.
3. Call Speaker Carl Heastie at 518-455-3791 and urge him to include the Senate's proposal in the budget for #FairPay4HomeCare. It is critically important that the Speaker hear from us all day and all night. Wherever he goes, we must be there.
^^ Make these calls every day and encourage everyone you know to do the same.
After you call, keep the conversation going on social media using the Escalation Toolkit linked here.
We cannot be successful unless we keep up the pressure on all fronts. We are so, so close - but if everyone doesn't act, we cannot succeed.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/53g1YHB3RyWM3iN2ibvHsw
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If you are interested in these or other disability advocacy issues, contact Colleen Downs, Systems Advocate at:
colleen@ncci-online.com
518-563-9058 Ext. 110
The Mission of the North Country Center for Independence is to help people with disabilities to live more independent and productive lives, and promote better policies and community understanding of disability issues. NCCI serves people with disabilities, families, and the community on issues related to physical and mental disabilities. NCCI is led and staffed mostly by people with disabilities. It is one of the 41 Independent Living Centers in New York State. There are also hundreds of similar centers throughout the United States. NCCI serves Clinton and Essex Counties, New York.