Hundreds of Massachusetts 1199ers took to the streets on March 20 outside Governor Maura Healey’s office to protest her state budget proposal that threatens to cut 6,000 consumers out of the Personal Care Assistant program, which provides home care services across the state.

“Care not cuts!” chanted the demonstrators, who included Union allies, people with disabilities and disability advocates. Limiting access to the PCA program, on which nearly 40,000 elders and people with disabilities rely, would not only harm them, but might also force 1199 caregivers to leave the profession if their hours were cut as a result.