Tuesday night at the Democratic Convention in Denver, I saw a
special speaker take the floor around 6:15. Her name is Pauline Beck,
and she is a home care worker in Oakland, California.
Ayear ago, Barack Obama spent a day on the job with Pauline,
as part of the SEIU’s Walk a Day in My Shoes initiative. Pauline, who
referred to the candidate as “my friend,” spoke passionately about her
belief in his ability to change America and help people like herself.
“I’ll never forget the day I spent working with Senator Obama, and I
know he won’t either,” she said.
“My job is to help people, and I love my job, but being a home care
worker is hard,” Pauline told the delegates. “The wages are low, the
hours can be long, and the work can be physically challenging…. Workers
need a president who stands up for us.”
As the energy and anticipation spread through the crowd, it was
thrilling to see a direct-care worker take on such a prominent role.
The fact that this workforce was highlighted is a very promising sign:
We could be in for some significant, much-needed changes in long-term
care policy over the next few years.
No comments:
Post a Comment