Pulse development · 2 cited sources · September 23, 2026
New York family caregivers face a consequential union vote
1199SEIU has filed for an election among workers in a Medicaid program where paid caregivers are often relatives of the people receiving care.
1199SEIU said it filed with the National Labor Relations Board for an election in which nearly 200,000 New York home care workers in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program could decide whether to join the union. CDPAP allows New Yorkers to be paid by Medicaid to care for sick or disabled people at home, and the people receiving that care are often family members. The union said nearly 70,000 CDPAP workers had signed support cards, exceeding the one-third threshold needed to hold a vote.
PPL, which manages CDPAP through a state contract, said it had agreed with 1199SEIU to remain neutral during the organizing effort. Supporters said they hope the union can help protect the program and its Medicaid funding, while workers and consumers interviewed by Gothamist expressed mixed views of the effort. A separate report describes an unfinalized federal proposal that would extend an existing child-care assistance program to some married households where one spouse works at least 35 hours a week and the other provides care at home.
Evidence
Each statement shown below is a verified claim this source supports.
- New York family caregivers face a consequential union vote
- 1199SEIU has filed for an election among workers in a Medicaid program where paid caregivers are often relatives of the people receiving care.
- 1199SEIU said it filed with the National Labor Relations Board for an election in which nearly 200,000 New York home care workers in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program could decide whether to join the union.
- CDPAP allows New Yorkers to be paid by Medicaid to care for sick or disabled people at home, and the people receiving that care are often family members.
- The union said nearly 70,000 CDPAP workers had signed support cards, exceeding the one-third threshold needed to hold a vote.
- PPL, which manages CDPAP through a state contract, said it had agreed with 1199SEIU to remain neutral during the organizing effort.
- Supporters said they hope the union can help protect the program and its Medicaid funding, while workers and consumers interviewed by Gothamist expressed mixed views of the effort.
- A separate report describes an unfinalized federal proposal that would extend an existing child-care assistance program to some married households where one spouse works at least 35 hours a week and the other provides care at home.
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