Union members representing more than 400 nursing home workers at five Connecticut are threatening to strike next week over wages, retirement benefits and “unfair labor practices.”
The Services Employees International Union 1199NE issued the strike notices Tuesday after members approved an April 22 work stoppage if a deal isn’t reached. The labor action comes after negotiators last year dodged the threat of a mega-strike that would have affected 140 facilities and more than 4,000 caregivers.
The union is seeking a $20 per hour minimum wage for certified nursing assistants, quality pension plans, affordable healthcare and better working conditions. The current minimum wage in Connecticut is $13 per hour.
Targeted operator National Health Care Associates said Tuesday that it has already met the union’s proposal to commit to increase minimum pay rates between 15.5% and 20.5% by July 1, 2023, the CT Mirror reported. The company owns and operates three of the facilities at the center of the controversy, while the other two are independently operated.
The company has also offered a 4.5% pay increase for workers who earn more than minimum wage and committed to “support a defined contribution retirement plan.”
The company also said it welcomes a federal investigation into the “unfair labor practices” allegations and believes a probe will “conclude that the charges are without merit,” according to the local news report.
“We strongly believe that a strike is not the answer,” a spokeswoman for the operator told the news organization. “We believe the parties should focus on reaching agreement on a new contract and avoiding a strike. We are committed to continuing to bargain in good faith to get there. In the meantime, we are doing everything necessary to limit disruption to our residents and ensure patient care is in no way affected.”
Union officials in a statement to McKnight’s Long-Term Care News on Wednesday explained they hope the facilities can achieve the same gains other providers in the state have seen in recent months.
“We’ve been told for two years that we’re essential, yet I still can’t pay my bills or afford healthcare with the low wages I’m being paid,” said Nadine Lawrence, a CNA at the Bloomfield Health Care Center in Bloomfield, CT.
“On top of that, most of the Hartford nursing home providers like me are Black and brown, and we continue to show up to care for our residents even amid racial profiling and discrimination by management. I’m at my breaking point,” she added.
