Back in October 2015, 1199SEIU Florida nursing home caregivers officially joined the Fight for $15 campaign as they came together to negotiate a new contract with five facilities owned by the Plaza Health Network in South Florida. By taking to the streets and advocating in their communities, the Plaza caregivers built significant momentum in the Fight for $15 movement and secured a new contract that made progress towards their goal of a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Inspired by the Plaza caregivers, 1,600 caregivers working at 19 Consulate Health Care nursing homes throughout Florida recently joined the campaign.

To kick off the campaign, a group of Plaza caregivers visited the company’s corporate headquarters to demand $15 an hour minimum wage, and challenged their CEO to take the Minimum Wage Challenge by living on their wages for one week.

In November 2015, more than 200 Plaza Health Network caregivers and community members took to the Miami streets during four straight days of pickets and Fight for $15 actions in early November to make their voice heard.

National and local media were there to document the struggles caregivers go through every day to provide for their families on low wages, laying the groundwork for significant media coverage during strikes at the 19 Consulate nursing homes.

Soon after, the Plaza caregivers secured a new contract is a step in the right direction, many Plaza caregivers with decades of loyal service deserve and need more to care for their families. They’ve dedicated their lives to caring for our communities’ elderly and those living with a disability, and it’s time that Plaza and the entire nursing home industry do the right thing by raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Plaza caregivers are currently working to address issues in their facilities to ensure that residents get the best care possible. Caregivers can provide ideas on potential issues to address by contacting an 1199SEIU delegate or organizer.