Jefferson City, Mo. – A majority of home care workers in Missouri have voted in favor of union representation. The results were announced today in Jefferson City, with about 60% of the state's home care workers voting to unionize. The workers provide various services for people who are homebound, such as transportation, shopping, cooking and bathing.
"They're ready to go to the bargaining table to establish a more stable workforce; to address issues that affect consumers," says Joe Lawrence, spokesman for the Missouri Home Care Union. "This is a service that keeps thousands of Missourians at home and out of nursing homes."
In a similar election last summer, the vote count for unionization was nearly 85%. But the results were tossed out in court, after a lawsuit was filed alleging a number of procedural flaws. In 2008, Missouri voters approved a ballot initiative that allowed home care workers to unionize.