By the Unified Savers Editorial Team
This information is based on official California CDSS guidelines and is reviewed for accuracy.
SEIU 2015, the union representing more than 700,000 California home care workers, is at the negotiating table in several large counties this spring and summer as memoranda of understanding with county governments expire and wage contracts come up for renewal. In Sacramento, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties — which together cover more than 100,000 IHSS providers — the union is pushing for wages at or above $21 per hour.
Where Negotiations Stand
Sacramento County currently pays IHSS providers at a rate just above the state minimum of $18.65, with a modest county supplement negotiated under the prior MOU. SEIU 2015’s Sacramento chapter is negotiating for an immediate increase to $21 per hour with annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to the regional Consumer Price Index — a raise of more than $2 per hour that would meaningfully close the gap with Bay Area counties like Alameda ($21) and San Francisco ($23).
Riverside County is one of the fastest-growing counties in California by population, yet its IHSS wage rate has trailed the state average for years. SEIU 2015 negotiators are pushing for a wage of $20.50 per hour, citing the county’s rising cost of living driven by the expansion of warehouse and logistics employers in the Inland Empire that actively compete with home care work for workers.
San Bernardino County has one of the lowest IHSS wage rates among the state’s ten largest county programs. The union is seeking $20 per hour — an increase that would require significant new budget appropriations from the county’s Board of Supervisors and would represent a major step toward parity with coastal counties.
Why These Negotiations Matter for Care Quality
Provider wages are directly tied to workforce stability, and workforce stability is directly tied to care outcomes. Counties with higher IHSS wages consistently report lower provider turnover, fewer recipients facing unmet needs due to caregiver shortages, and better health outcomes for program participants — outcomes that reduce costly emergency room visits and nursing facility placements.
SEIU 2015’s research estimates that for every dollar increase in IHSS provider wages, counties see a measurable reduction in Medi-Cal emergency care costs per enrollee over time, as stable caregiver relationships prevent falls, medication errors, and untreated chronic conditions.
San Bernardino and Riverside counties currently have among the highest IHSS recipient-to-active-provider ratios in the state, meaning some recipients wait weeks or months to find a caregiver willing to accept their case. The union argues that raising wages is the most direct solution to that shortage.
How County Supervisors Factor In
Unlike private-sector negotiations, IHSS wage agreements require formal ratification by county Boards of Supervisors, who must balance provider wage increases against other budget priorities including public safety, infrastructure, and general government services. In recent years, SEIU 2015 has won increases in counties where member turnout at Board of Supervisors meetings created direct political pressure.
Providers in Sacramento, Riverside, and San Bernardino who want to influence current negotiations can:
- Attend Board of Supervisors meetings and deliver public comment during the open comment period
- Contact their county SEIU 2015 chapter to volunteer for the bargaining campaign
- Sign up for union action alerts at seiu2015.org
Ratified agreements typically take effect within 30 to 90 days of Board approval, followed by a CDSS notification process before new wages appear on provider paychecks.
What a Win Would Mean
If SEIU 2015 achieves $21 per hour in Sacramento County and $20-plus per hour in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, it would represent one of the most significant coordinated wage increases in inland California IHSS history — and would bring inland provider wages within a few dollars of coastal rates that have long set the standard. For tens of thousands of caregivers, most of whom are women of color doing essential work with limited economic security, the difference between $18 and $21 per hour is the difference between making rent and not.
The statewide minimum wage floor of $18.65 remains the baseline for any county not covered by a SEIU 2015 MOU. Providers in counties without active union contracts should confirm their current rate with their county IHSS office and check whether organizing activity is underway in their area.
See also: IHSS pay rates for all 58 California counties in 2026 · IHSS union benefits through SEIU 2015 · IHSS overtime rules — how higher wages affect your overtime pay