Home health workers join wage movement march in Midtown

Lajua Manning, a home health care worker, was among hundreds of low pay people who marched in Midtown today demanding higher wages.

She said the care workers are joining a push that is scheduled nationwide today.

Adjunct professors also recently joined fast food workers and other low pay employees in demanding more money.

Manning, 25, sees it as a growing movement.

“It’s going to take some time for everyone to come together,” she said, but change is coming.

She said she has worked her job five years and makes $10 an hour taking care of people in their homes. She gets no mileage money for the trips and had held two jobs until the birth of her 1-year-old daughter, she said.

Now she must work the night shift, she said, so the child’s father can care for her then because she cannot afford day care.

Signs waved and chants rang out as marchers went down Main Street from 37^th to 39^th streets at about noon.

“I take care of your loved one,” one sign read.

“Stand up to end poverty wages,” read others and “Good Jobs $15 (an hour) for all.”

Adjunct professors are asking for $15,000 per class.

“Show me what democracy looks like” went a chant. “This is what democracy looks like.”