DETROIT—The chants from thrilled home care workers, in a sea of Service Employees purple, echoed through the streets of downtown Detroit Thursday morning, culminating in a victory rally outside of the SEIU Healthcare Michigan offices. The rally’s message was simple but powerful: “We got our union back!”
The declaration, made by home healthcare worker and organizer, Rodney Tate, to a cheering crowd, marked the end of a two-year struggle and the beginning of a new chapter for nearly 32,000 Michigan home care workers. By an overwhelming vote of 73% in support, they voted to join SEIU Healthcare Michigan, forming the largest union election victory in the Midwest since autoworkers organized in the 1940s.
“This is history—and we were told we couldn’t do it,” Tate proclaimed, his voice ringing with joy after a fought-and-won struggle. “We were told we couldn’t get those bills passed. We were told we would never get a union. And we did it, didn’t we?” The bills in reference were SB 790 and 791, which granted the right to organize back to Michigan’s home healthcare workers.
The victory is a reversal of the damage inflicted by former anti-worker Republican Governor Rick Snyder. In 2012, his administration rammed through so-called “right to work” legislation that stripped public employee status—and thus union rights—from tens of thousands of home care workers and tore up their hard-won contract.
For over a decade since, these essential workers, who are predominantly women, people of color, and immigrants, have labored in the shadows. They provide compassionate care like bathing, cooking, and assisting with mobility for Michigan’s elderly and people with disabilities, allowing them to remain in their homes. Yet, they’ve done so for poverty wages, recently raised to just $15.88 an hour after 12 years with no increase, and without basic benefits like health insurance or paid time off.
“When the union was stolen from us, I was devastated. But I didn’t lose hope,” said Phyllis Pride, a home care worker from Ecorse. “I knew we would reclaim our union one day—and that day has finally come… Together, in SEIU Healthcare Michigan, we can now build the long-term care system Michigan deserves.”
The path to victory was paved by a renewed political landscape. In 2023, Michigan’s Democratic-led government finally repealed the hated “right to work” law, setting the stage for a massive re-organizing campaign. The Michigan Home Care Workers United campaign, a multi-racial, multi-generational movement, seized the moment.
Their fight is about more than just wages. It’s about dignity and respect for work that holds working-class families and our communities together.
“We do it because we love our families, and we stick with it because we love helping others. But love can’t pay the bills,” said Michael Ewing, a Grand Rapids worker who cares for his mother. “Thank God we have our union.”
The sense of a movement at the rally was palpable. As Tate told the crowd, the next step is clear: “And we’re going to get Trump out of office next, aren’t we?” The question was met with roaring applause, linking their workplace victory to the broader political struggle against anti-worker, billionaire-backed politicians seeking to roll back hard-fought labor and democratic rights.
The workers know their union is a shield against such attacks. “Winning our union sends a clear message that home care workers will no longer work in the shadows,” said Erika LaFountain, a caregiver from Jackson. “We know our worth. We won’t be divided.”
With the union vote secured, the real work begins. Gabriella Jones-Casey, Director of Healthcare for SEIU Healthcare Michigan, said the next step is to “make good trouble” and protect Medicaid from the ongoing attacks by the Trump administration. But their other goal was made clear for the 32,000 new union members.
“We need to build the infrastructure now,” she declared, “to win the best damn union contract for our 32,000 home healthcare workers!”
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