BOSTON – Governor Deval Patrick’s progressive proposal to raise the income tax and cut the sales tax should help many low-paid human services workers, consumers and clients, while bringing more funding into the human services system, Providers’ Council President & CEO Michael Weekes said Thursday.
BOSTON – Providers’ Council President and CEO Michael Weekes on Thursday issued a statement thanking Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby for her years of dedication to human services and state government.
BOSTON – Executive Office of Administration & Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez announced Tuesday afternoon that the administration would release the Salary Reserve, providing low-paid human services workers with their first annualized salary increase in five years.
BOSTON – Nuance Leadership founder Drew Dudley will deliver the keynote address at the 37th Annual Providers’ Council Convention & Expo at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel on Wednesday, November 28.
BOSTON – The Providers’ Council, the state’s largest human services membership association, will honor Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo on Friday morning at Winthrop Middle School for his dedication to Winthrop youth and human services workers who provide essential services to one in ten Massachusetts residents.
BOSTON – The Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to override Governor Deval Patrick’s veto of the Human Services Salary Reserve. The House unanimously voted to override the veto on July 17.
BOSTON – The House voted unanimously on Tuesday afternoon to override Governor Deval Patrick’s veto of the Human Services Salary Reserve. Governor Patrick vetoed the $20 million Salary Reserve on July 8. “We thank Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, Representative David Linsky and the entire House for overriding the Governor’s veto of this critical investment in our human services workforce,” said Providers’ Council President and CEO Michael Weekes. “These workers have gone without an annualized salary increase for five years, and the House’s efforts to restore this funding are appreciated by the tens of thousands of workers across the human services sector.”
BOSTON – Just one week after Governor Patrick cut in half a $20 million Salary Reserve for low-paid workers, nearly 70 percent of the House is supporting an effort to override the Governor’s veto. Rep. David Linsky and 107 other representatives sent a letter Monday to Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, asking him to support an override of the Governor’s veto of the Salary Reserve. The Salary Reserve is a fund which would provide a modest salary increase to 31,500 human services workers who haven’t received an annualized salary adjustment in five years and make an average of $12 an hour.
BOSTON – Before signing the FY '13 budget on Sunday afternoon, Governor Patrick cut in half a $20 million Salary Reserve, only leaving $10 million for approximately 31,500 low-paid human services workers. Governor Patrick also proposes changing the section's language by removing an annualized raise and switching the reserve to a one-time payment.
BOSTON – The Conference Committee budget proposal includes a $20 million Salary Reserve, which would give low-paid human services workers a modest annualized salary increase – their first in five years. Conferees released the budget proposal late Wednesday night, and the House and Senate are expected to vote on the spending plan on Thursday.
BOSTON – The Providers’ Council, the Massachusetts member of the National Council of Nonprofits, announced Tuesday that the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI), a recognized leader in nonprofit advocacy training, has joined forces with the National Council.
BOSTON – Ninety-five state representatives are co-sponsoring Rep. David Linsky’s Human Services Salary Reserve amendment (#259) that would provide a modest salary increase to human services workers. The amendment would create a $28 million fund for 31,500 low-paid workers, amounting to a raise of about $17/week. Many of these employees, who provide services to one in ten vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth, have gone without an annualized salary increase over the last five years due to fixed state contracts. Direct care workers, who provide services on behalf of the state, make an average of $12 an hour, and nearly 80 percent of the jobs in the sector are filled by women.
BOSTON – The state’s largest human services membership association, the Providers’ Council, and the nationally recognized Public Consulting Group will release a report on April 11 detailing emerging trends in the state’s human services sector that can radically change the sector and payment processes.
BOSTON – More than 500 human services clients, consumers, family members, workers, executives, board members, volunteers – members of The Caring Force – are expected to attend a rally at the State House in Boston on Monday, April 2. They will fill the Grand Staircase and Nurses Hall areas at 10:30 a.m. to rally in support of increased funding for human services and an annualized salary adjustment for direct care workers, who are among the lowest-paid individuals in the Commonwealth.
BOSTON – The state’s largest human services membership association and Public Consulting Group will release a report on March 20 detailing emerging trends in the state’s human services sector.
BOSTON – Governor Deval Patrick’s $32.3 million House 2 budget proposal, released Wednesday, makes a concerted effort to increase state revenues and keep most critical human services line items funded at least at FY ’12 levels.
State officials are preparing to certify a tax cut on Thursday, and the elimination of more than $110 million in revenue could cause cuts to human services clients and mislead the public into believing that the state has more than enough funds to support its residents' needs.
Former Boston University hockey player Travis Roy, the founder of The Travis Roy Foundation, will deliver the keynote address at the 36th Annual Providers' Council Convention & Expo at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel on Tuesday, November 29.
More than 200 nonprofits from across Massachusetts, many of them community-based human services organizations, have signed a letter to Senator John Kerry, asking him to urge the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to preserve the tax deduction for charitable giving.
More than 130 business sector leaders and professionals sent a letter on Thursday to Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo asking them to insert a salary reserve for low-paid human services workers into a recently introduced supplemental budget.
