Rachel Tiede for Channel 13 News, WNYT.com
Eleven people are facing trespassing charges Thursday after refusing to leave the War Room of the state Capitol. At about 7:45 p.m. Thursday night, state police arrested the group live on Facebook.
They want Gov. Kathy Hochul to fund "Fair Pay for Home Care" in her final budget, and said they would not leave the building until the funding is guaranteed.
One of the protesters, Agnes McCray, said they want home care workers to get a $6 pay raise.
"We are not our disability, or as I would say, 'our extravagant differences,'" McCray said. "We are more than that, and the caregivers do an amazing job for so little money."
According to a recent Mercer Labor analysis, New York State will face the worst home care shortage in the nation by 2025.
According to PHI National, the home care workforce is expected to add 1 million new jobs from 2019 to 2029 -- more than any other industry.