Proponents of raising in-home care workers’ hourly pay to stem a critical lack of such workers across Pennsylvania held a virtual statewide rally Monday titled “Time for $20!”
Many in-home care workers aren’t even paid $15 an hour, which is the starting point sought by a bill that was co-sponsored last year by Democratic state Rep. Jessica Benham of the South Side, serving District 36, with Republican state Rep. Jason Ortitay, of District 46 in Allegheny and Washington counties. The bill aims to fix the fact there’s only one home care worker for every six Pennsylvanians who need such care, as Benham wrote in a recent opinion piece.
A schedule conflict kept Benham from attending the rally, but Ortitay joined what organizers said were about 500 people who were there for the 40-minute Zoom.
Many were workers, such as Helen Burke of Erie, who noted that people in her profession were called “heroes” during the pandemic. “Heroes shouldn’t have to decide which bills to pay each month” because they don’t have enough money to pay them all. She said she struggles to get by on about $13 an hour.
Attendees also included consumers, who talked about how critically they need in-home care to continue living their best lives and not having to move to nursing facilities.
President of the SEIU Healthcare union Matt Yarnell noted that in addition to hoping that Gov. Josh Shapiro includes more funding for these workers in the budget he’s introducing Tuesday, workers, consumers and organizers need to work to protect Medicare and Medicaid from threatened federal cuts. “Stay tuned on that fight.”
Many, many constituencies will be tuned in when Shapiro delivers his state budget address beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday before a joint session of the General Assembly, sparking this year’s process to hone a 2025-26 budget by July. For more on what he’s expected to unveil, read this preview from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. You should be able to watch at https://www.pa.gov/governor/live.html.
Lots of important, expensive issues will be on the table, but not many are more universal than people caring for other people when they are old and/or disabled. As Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, a Democrat in the 49th District in Lancaster County, told those at this rally, a person will either become disabled or will die young. “I think we owe people dignity in whatever stage of life they’re in, and we owe them care.”

Bob, a feature writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and serving as interim editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Contact him at bbatz@unionprogress.com.