United Long Term Care Workers, also called the SEIU ULTCW, is an labor organization of workers that seek to provide care and improve the lives of seniors and people with disabilities.
The United Long Term Care Workers is the second largest local in the United States, is part of the union Service Employees International Union, the largest health care union in the country.
The need for long term care givers is determined by age, health status, disabilities, and living arrangements. Long term care workers are often more necessary for people with severe illnesses, living alone, or elderly. These people are cared for both medically and non-medically, and are often unable to take care of themselves on their own.
The organization aids those requiring long term care by supporting the workers providing the care, advocating for seniors and people with disabilities, educating the public about the importance of providing care for this population, and participating in politics relative to providing long term care. By making the general public more aware and striving to reform politics, ULTCW are able to better serve those whom they are assisting.
Throughout the country, long term care workers are organized into unions or locals that have designated geographical areas to work in. In California, the SEIU ULTCW, or the Service Employees International Union United Long Term Care Workers the largest union of long term care givers. This organization serves various counties throughout the state, ranging from Napa to San Bernardino. The SEIU in particular has many subdivisions in their organization that provide many different types of aide. The SEIU ULTCW has departments in education, executive, strategic partnerships, member services, member strength, organizing, operations, and public affairs. This union is composed of 180,000 workers within the state of California, making it the second largest union or local or long term care workers in the country. Within this union, there is a yet another division of geographical areas for each particular long term care worker. These regions are determined by not only geographical, but also work type. The SEIU ULTCW is divided into six regions, with each region headed by a long term care worker. By becoming a member of this union, workers have better access to resources and services. Services include, but are not limited to, free classes, telephone hotlines to answer questions regarding the union, and personalized match ups between care givers and people in need of help. In regards to the political aspect of this union, previous campaigns include Fight for a Fair Economy, Courage to Care, and many others. In addition, workers are continually educated on how to be better care providers. These classes are free for the workers with topics ranging from a simple orientation to labor management.