SEIU 1199NE, the New England Health Care Employees Union, is proud to announce that a new home care PCA contract was approved Monday in both chambers of Connecticut’s General Assembly.

This final step to enact a new PCA contract ensures a $23 minimum wage for nearly 12,000 independent personal care attendants working in Connecticut.

“Congratulations to all the union members of SEIU 1199NE for winning one of the best PCA contracts in the nation. Today’s victory to finalize this contract with the approval of the General Assembly provides a path for sustainable home care PCA services in Connecticut, supporting elderly and disabled individuals to live independently at home,” said Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199NE. “Once again, we’d like to thank Gov. Ned Lamont, Speaker Matt Ritter, President Pro Tempore of the Senate Martin Looney, House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff for their support.”

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Current minimum wage for Connecticut’s independent PCAs is $18.25 per hour. Hourly rates will rise to $23 by Jan 1, 2026, making Connecticut a national leader in the compensation provided to PCAs serving Medicaid recipients in similar home care programs.

“We’ve fought so hard to do our job and provide quality home care for our consumers and their families. I love this job because I feel that I’m making a big difference in someone’s quality of life. But I also need to survive. This contract shows the progress we can achieve when we stand together and fight for justice,” said Winsted PCA Mike Sundberg after the new contract was voted into law at Connecticut’s State Senate and the House of Representatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects “684,600 openings for home health and personal care aides” each year, one of the fastest growing job sectors nationally for the next decade, in service of the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

“I am so happy for my union sisters and brothers, and for the people we care for every day. Black, Latina and white working-class women make up the majority of the home care workforce, so this will be a boost for many women that are struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck. We need to continue to raise standards for all nonprofit and long-term caregivers in Connecticut,” said New Haven PCA Amarilis Cruz.

For more details on this agreement, please see Governor Net Lamont’s recent press release here.

SEIU District 1199NE, the New England Health Care Employees Union, represents over 25,000 caregivers in Connecticut and some 4,000 in Rhode Island. Historically known as “1199” going back to the Civil Rights Movement, we are a bold, democratic union with a long activist tradition fighting for racial and economic justice to improve the lives of Black, Latina, Native American, AAPI, and white working-class communities.

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Media Contact:                 Pedro Zayas, pzayas@seiu1199ne.org, 860-830-2478