Vermont Homecare Local 4802

10/26/2025

Care workers, do you love your job? Tell us why! Do you struggle to get paid on time or to get the support you need? We want to hear that too! Write a post or send a private message. We are looking for stories to share in our bargaining sessions, which start Tuesday!

10/23/2025

The truth about Homecare workers.

And a shout out to the amazing crew at Community Resources in Olympia Washington for reposting this so I could too!

People often tell me, “You must have so much patience to do that kind of work.” They say it with a soft voice and a little head tilt. I know they mean it as a compliment, but they’ve got it wrong.

Patience is what you use when you’re waiting in line at the supermarket and the person ahead of you is paying in pennies. Patience is what you summon when your Wi-Fi goes down. Patience is about waiting for something to end.

Support work isn’t about waiting. It’s about being, being present, being responsive, being humble enough to realize that you’re not the main character in someone else’s story.

The idea that good support work is rooted in patience sells both the worker and the person they support short. It makes it sound like we’re enduring something, like the person with a disability is a test of our goodness.

The best support workers I’ve met don’t have halos of patience hovering over their heads. They have skills. They know how to listen beyond words. They notice tiny details, a shift in tone, a glance, a pause... and they adjust. They can turn frustration into collaboration. They know how to make space for someone’s independence without stepping in to “fix” everything.

Patience says, “I’ll wait for you to catch up.”
Good support says, “I’ll walk with you, at your pace, and learn the rhythm of your stride.”

So no, disability support work doesn’t take patience. It takes respect. It takes skill.
..

ID: Image shows a support worker pushing a lady who is sat in her wheelchair. A speech bubble from outside the image reads: You must be so patient! The disabled lady responds by saying: Thank you. Yes I am.

10/23/2025

A history lesson. How have care workers been systematically pushed into the shadows, excluded from the rooms where decisions are made, and abandoned when we needed protection? It’s been going on for a long time… and was solidified when we were left out of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), when most other industries leapt towards fairness. We MUST unite to get what workers, and the people we care for, need. https://www.dwherstories.com/timeline/excluded-from-labor-protections #

This timeline on the history of domestic work and worker organizing in the U.S. is a resource to study history from the margins, learn from the courage and resilience of our movement ancestors, and continue to build a powerful, multiracial alliance grounded in a shared commitment to combating all fo...

10/20/2025

Calling all ARIS care workers! Take the survey! Everyone who submits a response is entered to win $150 to the shoe store of your choice, or one of two $50 gas cards. And the most important part of all, your answer helps us tell the state of Vermont what care workers need!

This fall, thousands of us will have the opportunity through our Union to enter into negotiations with the State of Vermont over wages, paid time off, educational opportunities, and more! The results of this survey will determine collective priorities for improvements.

10/15/2025

Take the Vermont Homecare United 2025 Bargaining Survey

It’s that time again. The leaves are falling, Vermonters are digging out our winter boots, and we’re firing up our courage along with our heaters. Vermont Homecare United is entering into contract negotiations this stick season. Join AFSCME 4802 union members, 6,000 homecare workers, and the people we care for in demanding
- Better wages
- Improvements to the skimpy Earned Paid Time Off program
- Retention bonuses
- A voice at the table with the government programs that decide our value.

If you’re a Vermont care provider paid through the ARIS payroll company, follow this link to complete the Bargaining Survey to tell us what’s most important to you.

You can submit stories, volunteer to help write and steer proposals, make calls to other homecare workers to rally and inform them, or JOIN THE BARGAINING TEAM!

The Bargaining Team is a small group of homecare workers who negotiate our next contract with the state of Vermont. We make our case to program administrators about wages, benefits, safety risks, and the needs of the people we care for. We are accompanied by our amazing AFSCME representative Kristin Warner who fact-checks the state’s proposals and claims, and explains the process, labor law and best practices. We’ll meet with the state roughly twice per month between November and February, typically during the business day, and all Bargaining Team members are included in deciding the time of those meetings. Message us or mail VTHomecareUnited@gmail.com to learn more.

09/14/2020

If you're suffering from economic hardship due to COVID and face difficulty making your mortgage payment, you may be eligible for a Vermont Mortgage Assistance grant.

BURLINGTON, VT – When Kimberly Edgar was unable to work due to COVID-19, the new Mortgage Assistance Program offered her a path for keeping her home in Brattleboro. Funded by the federal CARES Act, the program provides qualified Vermont homeowners with grants for up to six months of overdue mortga...

08/25/2020

These workers are now called essential. But the history of the profession shows the U.S. has never treated them as such

08/13/2020

Next week the AFSCME Free College program is going to hold info sessions for any Council 93 members who are interested in learning more about the benefit.

They recently expanded the benefit to include a FREE BACHELOR'S DEGREE option as well as the ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, making it even more appealing to MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

Over $140 million in educational aid has been given to AFSCME families through the free college program.

Register at the links below.

RSVP Today!
Wednesday, August 19th @ 10am- https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdOmprD4sHdxrqy7Uz_tEPnbtv5o1oD17

Thursday, August 20th @ 7pm- https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvcOqurz0rHtKFfogkRfFO7i8DyNLazWvA

Call 802-855-2853 with any questions.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: AFSCME C93 Free College Benefit Info Session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

07/31/2020

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

After years of being ignored, care workers are finally getting the respect and support they need. It’s high time.

07/31/2020

Safety and Health Topics | Home Healthcare

07/31/2020

"Biden said home health workers were paid very little, citing a statistic that 40% of these workers relied on public assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid as evidence.

According to the experts with whom we spoke, and the documents we consulted, Biden accurately described home health workers' income and their reliance on these programs. His number appears to represent the low end of the spectrum."

Biden's statement that 40% of home health workers are on SNAP or Medicaid checks out.