CPC Statement on Home Care Workers' Call to End 24-Hour Shifts and Make Two 12-Hour Split Shifts Universal | Chinese-American Planning Council
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CPC Statement on Home Care Workers' Call to End 24-Hour Shifts and Make Two 12-Hour Split Shifts Universal

Jun
27

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

Date: June 27, 2024

Contact: Wayne Ho, President and CEO | (212) 941-0920 x 143 | who@cpc-nyc.org

CPC Statement on Home Care Workers' Call to End 24-Hour Shifts and Make Two 12-Hour Split Shifts Universal

 

New York, NY – The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) and our subsidiary, CPC Home Attendant Program (CPCHAP), are in full support of home care workers in their call to end 24-hour shifts and to make two 12-hour split shifts universal. Unfortunately, 24-hour shifts are mandated by State law and determined by insurance companies. Like all home care agencies, CPCHAP does not have the power to split 24-hour shifts on our own. Aging Committee Chair Assembly Member Ron Kim recently acknowledged that health insurance companies determine split shifts, not home care agencies. 

 

CPC has been advocating for State reform for years. We continue to push for legislation that mandates the State to replace 24-hour shifts with two 12-hour split shifts to ensure that home care workers receive full and equitable compensation for every hour they dedicate to their essential roles. Because home care is funded by Medicaid and regulated by State agencies, we focus our advocacy at the State level. CPC does not have a position on the No More 24 Act at the City Council and has not written letters, testified at hearings, or met with Council Members about the bill.

 

CPCHAP is committed to doing right by our workers, as evident that we have spent nearly $6 million on overtime, bonuses, and reimbursement for travel and PPE and that we entered an agreement with 1199SEIU to pay our home care workers $19.15 per hour, which is more than the State mandated hourly wage. As a long-time, proud unionized organization, CPCHAP respects our home care workers’ election of 1199SEIU as their advocate and representative and acknowledges 1199SEIU’s grievance process to address worker concerns, including the arbitrator’s decision to establish a Special Wage Fund of nearly $40 million to resolve wage and hour claims.

 

There are over 11,000 24-hour cases throughout New York State, and CPCHAP has only 39 24-hour cases and 38 12-hour split shift cases out of our total caseload of nearly 2,500. We continue to advocate to the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) and health insurance companies to split our remaining 24-hour shifts, which has been partially successful as our 24-hour cases have decreased from 54 to 39 in two years. CPCHAP also tried to decline accepting any more 24-hour cases, but HRA threatened to terminate our contract if we continued to do so, which would have been a loss for both our home care workers and clients if that were to happen.

 

CPCHAP continues to comply with all New York State Medicaid rules and requirements, as well as Department of Labor laws, court decisions, and union agreements, including how 24-hour cases are handled and how interruptions are compensated. The State Office of Medicaid Inspector General audited our 24-hour cases recently and gave us a 100% rating in being in full compliance, and HRA audits consistently show that we are 100% in full compliance. CPCHAP has earned a reputation as a “go to” preferred agency among home care workers because we uphold the rights and dignity of each of our workers and because we provide their preferred shifts to the extent that caseload and Medicaid allow.

 

The 13-hour rule (workers are paid for 13 hours of a 24-hour live-in shift unless there are interruptions, and home care agencies are reimbursed for only 13 hours) is unsustainable and unfair to home care workers, who deserve to be fully compensated for every hour in their patients’ homes. CPCHAP is in full support of ending our 24-hour shifts and providing two 12-hour split shifts going forward and would do so ourselves if we could; however, despite our best attempts, we have been unsuccessful because of State policies and Medicaid regulations.

 

We will continue to work with allies, workers, and patients to advocate for the Governor and State Legislature to end 24-hour shifts and to ensure Fair Pay for Home Care, which will build a just and caring economy in New York State. We are doing all we can to do right by home care workers, serve patients, and reform the Medicaid system.

 

 

CPC關於家庭護理人員呼籲結束24小時制度並普遍實行兩個12小時輪班制的聲明

華人策劃協會 (CPC) 及子公司華策會家庭服務員項目公司 (CPCHAP) 全力支持家庭護理人員呼籲結束24小時制度，並普及兩個12 小時輪班制。遺憾的是，24小時制度是由州政府法律強制規定，並由保險公司決定。CPCHAP和所有家庭護理機構一樣， 沒有權力自行拆分 24 小時制度。紐約州眾議員、老齡委員會主席金兌錫 (Ron Kim) 最近提到，是由醫療保險公司決定拆分制，而不是家庭護理機構。

多年來CPC一直提倡州級層面的改革。我們繼續推動立法，要求州政府用兩個12小時分班制替代24小時制，確保家庭護理人員獲得他們在其重要角色中投入的每小時獲得充分和公平補償。由於家庭護理由醫療補助資助並受州機構監管，我們的倡導工作主要集中在州級層面。CPC對市議會的「不再24法案」沒有持有立場，也沒有就此法案寫信、出席聽證會或與議員會面。

CPCHAP致力於為我們的工人提供公平對待，我們已經使用近600萬美元用於加班、獎金、出行費和個人防護裝備的補償，並與1199SEIU簽訂協定，為我們的家庭護理員工支付每小時19.15美元的工資，高於州規定的時薪。作為長久以來引以為榮的工會組織，CPCHAP尊重我們家庭護理員工選擇1199SEIU作為他們的倡導者和代表，並明白通過1199SEIU的申訴過程，以解決員工關注的問題，包括仲裁員決定設立近4000萬美元的特別工資基金（Special Wage Fund）解決工資和工時索賠。

紐約州現有超過11,000個24小時案例，而CPCHAP的總案例量接近2500個，其中只有39個是24小時案例，38個是12小時輪班案例。我們繼續向紐約市人力資源管理局（HRA）和醫療保險公司倡導分拆我們餘下的24小時班制，這在一定程度上取得了成功，因為我們的24小時案例在兩年內從54個減少到39個。CPCHAP曾試圖拒絕接受更多24小時案例，但HRA威脅如果繼續這樣做將終止我們的合同，這對我們的家庭護理員工和客戶都將會是一種損失。

CPCHAP繼續遵守所有紐約州醫療補助規則和要求，以及勞工部法律、法院裁決和工會協議，包括處理24小時案例和補償中斷的方式。紐約州醫療補助監察長辦公室最近對我們的24小時案例進行了審核，並給予我們100%合符規定的評分，而HRA的審核也一直顯示我們100%符合要求。CPCHAP尊重每一位員工的權利和尊嚴，以及在工作量和醫療補助允許的範圍內為家庭護理人員安排他們首選的班次，而贏得了家庭護理工中的「首選機構」聲譽。

13小時規則（在24小時住家服務中，除非有中斷，否則護工的工資僅以13小時計算，而家庭護理機構則只可報銷13小時）是不可持續的，並對家庭護理員工不公平，他們在患者家中的每一小時都應能得到全額補償。CPCHAP全力支持結束我們的24小時班制，並在未來實行兩個12小時分班制。如果可以的話，我們願意這樣做，但由於州政策和醫療補助法規，我們儘管竭盡全力，卻未能成功實現這一目標。

我們將繼續與盟友、員工和患者合作，呼籲州長和州立法機構結束24小時制，並確保家庭護理獲得公平薪酬，這將推動一個公正和關愛的紐約州經濟。我們正在盡一切可能為家庭護理員工服務、照顧病人，並改革醫療補助系統。

 

 

About the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC):

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) is a social services organization that creates positive social change. Founded in 1965, CPC is the nation’s largest Asian American social services organization and aims to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities of New York City. CPC is the trusted partner to individuals and families striving to achieve goals in their education, family, community, and career. 

 

關於華人策劃協會 (華策會):

華人策劃協會（簡稱“華策會”）是一個致力於創造正向社會變革的社會服務機構。華策會成立於1965年，是美國最大的亞裔美國人社會服務機構，旨在促進紐約市華裔美國人、移民及低收入社區的社會權益和經濟賦權。華策會是為個人和家庭實現其教育、家庭、社區及職業目標而努力的可信賴機構。

 

ACERCA DE CPC

El Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) es una organización de servicios sociales que crea un cambio social positivo. Fundada en 1965, CPC es la mayor organización de servicios sociales asiático-americanos del país y su objetivo es promover la capacitación social y económica de las comunidades chino-americanas, inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos de la ciudad de Nueva York. CPC es el socio de confianza de personas y familias que se esfuerzan por alcanzar objetivos en su educación, familia, comunidad y carrera.