United Domestic Workers (UDW, also known as UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) is a left-of-center California labor union of home care workers affiliated with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). UDW membership is largely based around In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), a California state program which provides at-home care to people with disabilities. UDW has defended the IHSS from political opponents and attempted to block reductions in IHSS funding since its 1977 founding. In 2017, UDW had 97,000 members. ¹

UDW supports left-of-center and left-wing political policies. Over time, the union has come to support a full slate of left-of-center policies, even those ostensibly unrelated to labor. At the union’s 2018 convention, the group passed resolutions officially dedicating UDW to supporting “pay equity,” expansionist immigration policies, and increased government-controlled housing programs. UDW oversees the United Domestic Workers PAC, though the PAC has made no federally reportable donations since its establishment in 2014. ²

History

In 1977, a group of followers of controversial labor activist Cesar Chavez formed a committee which later became United Domestic Workers (UDW). The group was a strong supporter of California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), which established government programs to provide home-based care for the disabled beyond government subsidies for nursing homes and hospitals. Most of UDW’s members are employed through the IHSS. ³

In 1999, UDW wrote and successfully lobbied for the passage of AB 1682 in the California legislature, which mandated that all counties keep records of IHSS employees and granted IHSS employees the right to collective bargaining. ³ In 2000, UDW joined a lawsuit with the left-of-center Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which won $107 million in state funds and $150 million in federal funds for pay increases and health insurance for home care workers. ³

In the mid-2000s, UDW opposed then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), who accused the IHSS of rampant fraud and supported cuts to IHSS funding. ³

In 2015, the California United Home Care Workers (CUHW) and the SEIU’s United Long Term Care Workers merged with UDW, thereby expanding the UDW’s membership over 11 more counties in California. ³

2018 UDW Convention

At the United Domestic Workers 2018 convention, the union passed a series of resolutions committing the union to support left-wing political goals, including goals unrelated to labor organizing. ⁴

UDW Resolution 9 declared the union’s support for measures that increase “pay equity” and end alleged racial and gender discrimination in regard to pay. ⁵ UDW has joined the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in lobbying Congress for federal pay equity legislation. ⁴

UDW Resolution 11 declared that housing is a “basic human right” and dedicated the UDW to supporting the implementation of increased government-controlled housing programs. ⁶ UDW is a part of Build Better San Diego, a left-of-center development coalition, and it helped pass the Source of Income Discrimination Ordinance in San Diego, which prohibited landlords from rejecting Section 8 tenants. ⁴

UDW first adopted a resolution to support expansionist immigration policies in 2015 and strengthened its commitment in 2018 with Resolution 13. Resolution 13 affirmed the union’s support for keeping California a “sanctuary state” that does not cooperate in federal immigration enforcement. ⁷ According to UDW, one quarter of home care workers and thousands of UDW members are immigrants. ⁴

Police Violence

United Domestic Workers (UDW), whose membership primarily consists of women of color,” has devoted itself to supporting left-of-center measures which claim to decrease police violence, particularly against racial minorities. The union’s website states that it is in favor of “integrat[ing] racial justice into the labor movement.” ⁴

In 2015, UDW supported the passage of AB 953 in the California legislature, which prohibited law enforcement from using racial profiling. ⁴ UDW also supported California AB 931, which sought to require police officers to exhaust all forms of escalation before resorting to deadly force. AB 931 died in committee in 2018. ^{4 8}

1. Roosevelt, Margot. “The Freedom Foundation wants to fight Democrats by busting a California homecare union.” The Orange County Register. April 3, 2017. Updated April 8, 2017. Accessed August 19, 2021. https://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/03/the-freedom-foundation-wants-to-fight-democrats-by-busting-a-california-homecare-union/.
2. “United Domestic Workers of America PAC Profile.” Open Secrets. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/united-domestic-workers-of-america-indep/C70005822/summary/2020.
3. “Our Union.” United Domestic Workers. Accessed August 19, 2021. http://www.udwa.org/our-union/.
4. “Social Justice.” United Domestic Workers. Accessed August 19, 2021. http://www.udwa.org/social-justice/.
5. “Resolution #9.” United Domestic Workers. Accessed August 19, 2021. http://www.udwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Pay-Equity-Resolution-9-2018.pdf.
6. “Resolution #11.” United Domestic Workers. Accessed August 19, 2021. http://www.udwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Affordable-Housing-Resolution-11-2018.pdf.
7. “Resolution #13.” United Domestic Workers. Accessed August 19, 2021. http://www.udwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Support-Immigrant-Workers-Resolution-13-2018.pdf.
8. “AB-931 Criminal procedure: use of force by peace officers.” California Legislative Information. Accessed August 19, 2021. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB931.