Alameda County Supervisors Approve Benefits for Home Care Workers
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved health benefits for home care workers, ending two years of contract negotiations with the workers' union, Service Employees International Union Local 616, the Contra Costa Times reports. To fund the contract, the county will use $1 million from its tobacco settlement funds and another $500,000 from savings (Contra Costa Times, 3/1). Workers who log more than 35 hours per month will be eligible for benefits and will be required to contribute $8 per month through a payroll deduction. The state and federal governments will reimburse the county for 79.5% of the plan's cost, and the county will contribute the remainder. The plan is expected to cost no more than $7.2 million per year, with the county contributing $1.5 million per year (Oakland Tribune, 2/28).
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