The article you are about to read was penned by Shahram “Shane” Pourhassan. Shane has been diligently trying to OPT OUT from UDW 3930 as a IHSS worker for almost a 6 months. Shane takes care of his ailing mother, and does so with such Pride as a good son would. Shane in his spare time is an accomplished writer and loves working out.
After more than a year of membership, I’ve concluded that the United Domestic Workers (UDW) 3930, has very little interest in my wages or working conditions, and none at all in the quality of homecare I’m able to give.
The union is passionate, however, when it comes to confiscating as much dues as it can, for as long as it can, from members foolish enough to trust them as I have.
Following back surgery in 2021, my mother required more care than she could provide for herself, but not enough to warrant going to a nursing facility, so I enrolled in a program under which I could be compensated through Medicaid for the time I spent helping her.
As part of the process, I was required to attend an orientation in February 2022 to get my provider ID.
What I wasn’t told was that these events are intended as little more than an opportunity for the union to harangue new enrollees with a high-pressure sales pitch. Mine started with a UDW representative lying about all the wonderful things the union would do. For example, I was told they were the ones who could increase our pay rate or the number of hours we’d be compensated for.
They plant a lot of seeds in your head, hoping to yield a bumper crop of your dues money. And while the spokesman gave us her spiel, other union operatives were aggressively pushing everyone to sign up with UDW.
One lady was standing above me and constantly saying “Sign, sign, sign.” When I told her I needed to read it first, she gave me her card and told me to call her when I’m ready to sign.
Don’t hold your breath.
The way I see it, good products sell themselves. Bad products need someone to bully you into buying.
Only two people out of 40 people there signed; the rest did not.
Within days, someone from UDW called and assured me the union would help me get more hours if I signed with them. Not knowing any better, I signed. But when I subsequently followed up, no one would even return my calls.
At that point, I checked the UDW reviews online — in hindsight, something I wish I’d done first. The reviews were scathing. Everyone complained that they don’t answer the phone calls or help you with anything at all after you sign with them, and the only reason they want you to sign is to siphon money from your paychecks.
But I persisted. I called and called until finally I managed to talk to someone, and we agreed to meet the following month at their office in Santa Ana. She set up a hearing date with a judge for me to see if my hours could be increased.
Before the date of hearing, however, I tried to call the union rep and ask her to be present.
As usual, it took forever to get a response from her. Meanwhile, the coordinator for the hearing judge called me to make sure I will be present for the meeting. The coordinator advised me to cancel the hearing because UDW refused to help or participate in the meeting.
I was told the IHSS social worker is a fair person who would visit my mother after her second back surgery and possibly add more hours for my services.
I got more hours added to my monthly checks after the social worker’s visit. However, the union that collects my dues dollars and claims to represent me also benefited from my personal persistence as they continue to collect more dues, while they refused to represent me.
The reviews were absolutely right. To UDW, I’m nothing but another paycheck to be plundered.
Be smart, do your research and keep your dues in your own pocket.
