Dozens of care workers rallied at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Thursday, demanding the state convene a wage board and investigate care workers’ wages.

Protestors said care workers are underpaid, overworked and lack basic benefits, training and support. Over 50% of home care workers in Colorado rely on public assistance and over 33% rely on Medicaid, according to Colorado Care Workers Unite.

Colorado Care Workers Unite led the protest, titled “Care Can’t Wait,” in partnership with the Service Employees International Union.

“The state has failed to honor our rights; they have failed to take action,” said Marilyn Sorenson, a Denver care worker of 28 years. “Colorado’s care workers are becoming homeless, losing jobs and clients, and some are burning out and leaving the industry altogether because of the low pay and unsafe working conditions.”

Audit: Denver office ignored issues of city worker wage stagnation

Protestors said the state has not acted after, in January, workers in nursing, home and facility care delivered hundreds of petitions calling for an investigation into wages and working conditions, and for a wage board to be convened.

However, a spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said the state is working on the request and has been holding recurring meetings with the workers’ union since the fall of 2020.

“CDLE has kept the group informed about the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics’ ongoing investigations into wage practices in the home care industry, spanning multiple employers, and we are pleased to have had helpful cooperation from workers and labor organizers alike in that field,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the Department of Labor and Employment is wrapping up its investigation into the complaints and its review will be released in the coming weeks.

Major health care organizations in Colorado urge action on COVID-19

In the meantime, protestors said other states have already taken concrete steps towards addressing the issue. In May, Nevada passed SB 340, a measure establishing a state employment standards board for home care workers.

This comes as the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the population’s average age is quickly increasing.

“Care workers need a wage board,” said Sandra Sherwood, a care worker of 42 years from Penrose. “We’re the experts who provide the care, we know what’s best for our clients, and we know what problems need to be fixed. We should have a meaningful voice in decisions about how we transform the care industry to make sure it works for all.”