Anti-union extremists and billionaires plan to make reckless cuts to the federal budget and to the federal Medicaid program to fund billionaire tax breaks.
AFSCME member Sabrina Bishop, a California home care provider and member of United Domestic Workers, offered a frightening snapshot of how devastating those cuts would be.
She described ill clients without anyone to care for them and dedicated home care workers who would be driven from their profession. But she also talked about the ways she and her fellow UDW members are fighting back against these attacks.
*This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Tell us about your clients and what you do for them.
I see a total of three clients. Two are disabled veterans and one receives care through California’s In-Home Support Services (IHSS), which is funded through Medicaid.
The services we provide include bathing them, medication management, cleaning, laundry, and food preparation.
I have one client, Mike, who I live with. He is at the end-stage of dementia. He is unable to communicate. He can’t dial 911. If he sees any medication bottles, he’ll just take them. If he sees a car door open, he’s going to get in it no matter whose car it is. My work means he has someone to help him and can live safely with dignity in his twilight years.
We go to concerts together. We go to movies. As a home care provider, we make sure our patients get to live.
How important is Medicaid funding to your work?
Without the services I provide, which are funded by Medicaid, people won’t get their medication on time or be bathed or cleaned.
Many of the folks who rely on funding from Medicaid don’t have family who can help with around-the-clock care.
How will cuts to Medicaid affect caregivers?
I really think many caregivers, especially the ones who care for non-family, will decide they can’t do this work anymore. It’s just impossible to support themselves while supporting others if their funding gets cut even more. You can often make more working at In-N-Out.
There is already a major shortage of providers, leaving thousands of people who need care stuck on waiting lists. I worry that cuts to Medicaid will make the situation even worse, and seniors and disabled individuals will be trapped in their homes without anyone to care for them.
What do you want members of Congress to understand?
Don’t be so quick to cut funding for Medicaid. You yourself may end up needing a caregiver. You may be diagnosed with a terminal disease at your next doctor’s appointment. You may have a car accident and can no longer take care of yourself.
What are you and your fellow union members doing to fight back?
We just had a meeting last week with over 500 members ready to fight back against these cuts. Whatever affects the clients affects us.
At UDW, we’ve made over 2,000 calls to Congress. We are serious about people messing with our clients, their health and their livelihoods.
Public service workers will continue to organize against these attacks.
Through our Get Organized campaign, AFSCME is fighting to stop anti-union extremists and their billionaire friends from destroying the public services we provide and rolling back laws that protect our health and safety at work, our job security and even our freedom to join our union.
It’s time for workers to Get Organized. Let’s GO.