A 91-cent-an-hour pay increase for approximately 3,000 people who work directly with those with developmental disabilities in the state is welcomed, though more is needed, say many in the industry.
Mandated by the R.I Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, the $9.5 million fiscal 2020 increase for those workers went into effect at the beginning of this month, raising wages from about $12.27 an hour to about $13.18.
It comes as many other workers at nursing homes and hospitals hope for pay increases of their own. Direct-care health workers have often been frustrated by Statehouse budget battles where reimbursement rates have been curbed or held steady, rather than boosted.
“It’s a very good start, but it’s definitely not enough; it barely brings us to entry-level [pay],” said Nancy Tumidajski, a direct-support professional who works at the ARC of Blackstone Valley.
Tumidajski, 60, has worked for 28 years at the Blackstone ARC. She says her love of the job keeps her there, but many of her peers have opted to work in Massachusetts, where pay for the same job is higher.
“I think they really need to get us to at least $15. It’s gotten so hard; we’re so short-staffed. We have a lot of full-time positions with benefits open, but we have people go to Massachusetts all the time,” she said.
Emmanuel Falck, elected organizer of the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England, which represents some direct-support professionals, said low pay impacts people with developmental disabilities who depend on those who help them.
“Workers … [who] are taking care of seniors and people with developmental disabilities need to be paid a living wage; we can’t have high-quality, consistent services without a living wage,” Falck said.
Tina Spears, executive director of the Community Provider Network of Rhode Island, says her industry does not have regulations that require wage increases, and has not returned to the base rate that was cut by approximately 30% by the General Assembly in 2011.
“Over the years, nursing homes, home providers, developmental-disability organizations, and home health care providers have … all struggled to get rate increases that they … are supposed to get,” she said.
The agency includes 22 of about 35 organizations across the state that offer living support, day programs and other services for people with disabilities.
The money for the wage bump goes to developmental-disability organizations in the form of Medicaid rate increases.
“We … made it clear that we are expecting them to provide at least a 91-cent-per-hour increase for their workers,” said BHDDH spokesman Randal Edgar. “They do important work and … we wanted to make [the pay] a little more appropriate.”
Elizabeth Graham is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Graham@PBN.com
