UDW family,
As Provider Appreciation Month ends, I want to take a moment to recognize each and every one of you!
It’s been a tough year, and we all deserve some appreciation— including our family child care providers, who celebrate in May but have stood beside us every step of the way as we fight to protect IHSS, just as we’ve stood beside them in their fight for a fair new contract.
This is one big union family, and I could not be more proud to fight alongside each and every one of you.
We’ve faced a lot this year, but we’ve kept on winning. Together, we beat two major threats to overtime: one from the state in the May budget revision and another at the federal level in September. We’re still fighting to protect Medicaid and SNAP, but we have to pause to celebrate the victories we’ve already won.
Protecting overtime, twice over, was just the beginning. Together, we also fought for and won big with Proposition 50! And it wasn’t just home care providers making history. Our child care union siblings ratified a new contract after a hard-fought battle. Through it all, we overcame massive cuts, held the line, and refused to back down from threats to the true cost of care.
Our work isn’t easy, and sometimes it feels like fighting to protect our jobs and those in our care is a job all its own. But we know it’s worth it because we fight for those who need it the most. Our children, seniors, and people with disabilities shouldn’t face cuts and neglect from the government. And every time they do, we show up and fight back — together.
As this month of appreciation comes to an end, I hope you take a moment to celebrate yourself and everything we’ve accomplished. I’m endlessly proud to stand beside you — in every fight, every victory, and every moment we lift each other up.
In solidarity,
Astrid Zuniga