Contact: AprilE@1199.org | (716) 449-1620

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

With low wages and staff turnover of more than 50%, workers are demanding that for-profit out of town operators invest in recruitment and retention to improve staffing and resident care.^[1]

Buffalo, NY – More than 1,200 long term caregivers at 12 for-profit nursing homes across Western New York whose union contracts all expired will hold one-day strikes in demand for fair wages. This month, 98.6% of workers voted by an overwhelming majority at each facility in favor of holding one-day strikes to win better wages!

Caregivers represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest healthcare workers union are asking for a $15 minimum wage for service workers, higher start rates for new employees, and standardized wage scales based on experience. Caregivers say wage improvements are needed to retain experienced workers to care for residents, but also to recruit new workers to help with critically understaffed facilities.

"If we're able to reach settlements at all 12 facilities including the wages workers have been fighting for, then there’s no need to move forward with the one-day strikes. But, the for-profit out of town employers must be willing to invest in local workers so there are enough regular long-term staff to provide consistent and quality care for residents," said Grace Bogdanove, 1199SEIU Vice-President for Western New York Nursing Home Division.

One-day strikes will be held on July 12 and July 13 at the following facilities:

1. Autumn View Health Care Facility, 4650 Southwestern Blvd, Hamburg, NY 14075
2. Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing, 1014 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209
3. Elderwood at Lockport, 104 Old Niagara Rd, Lockport, NY 14094
4. Elderwood at Williamsville, 200 Bassett Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221
5. Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing, 200 7th St, Buffalo, NY 14201
6. Fiddler’s Green Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 168 W Main St, Springville, NY 14141
7. Garden Gate Health Care Facility, 2365 Union Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
8. Gowanda Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, 100 Miller St, Gowanda, NY 14070
9. Humboldt House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, 64 Hager St, Buffalo, NY 14208
10. Newfane Rehabilitation & Health Center, 2709 Transit Rd, Newfane, NY 14108
11. North Gate Health Care Facility, 7624 Nash Rd, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
12. Seneca Health Care Center, 2987 Seneca St, West Seneca, NY 14224

Caregivers at the twelve area facilities work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Personal Care Attendants, Housekeeping, Dietary Aides, Cooks, Laundry Aides, and Maintenance Workers.

Autumn View Health Care Facility, Garden Gate Health Care Facility, North Gate Health Care Facility, and Seneca Health Care Facility are Indirectly owned and operated Edward Farbenblum and Orly Lieberman^[2]. Buffalo Center & Ellicott Center are indirectly owned & operated by Kenneth Rozenber and Jeff Sicklick. Elderwood at Lockport and Elderwood at Williamsville are indirectly owned & operated by Jeffrey Rubin and Warren Cole. Fiddler’s Green is indirectly owned and operated by Jeffrey Goldstein and Chaim Lowenbraun. Gowanda Rehabilitation is indirectly owned and operated by Batia Zagelbaum; Esther Barth; Chaya Walden; Yechiel Zagelbaum; and Yoel Zagelbaum. Humboldt House is indirectly owned and operated by Jeffrey Goldstein; Lea Sherman; Alexander Sherman; Esther Mendlowitz; Tzvi Sherman; Yehuda B Sherman; and Hindi Amsel. Newfane Rehabilitation is indirectly owned and operated by Maximus Newfane, LLC - Jonah Jay Lobell; Yisroel A Bornstein; Henry Steinmetz; Yaakov Weitman; and Nisson Hirsch.^[3]

###

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all. https://www.nursinghomestaffingaccountability.com/

---

[1] he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing homes including rehab services data archive, Provider Data, NH_ProviderInfo (May 2020 - April 2022), available online at: https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/archived-data/nursing-homes

[2] SOURCE: New York State Department of Health, Certificate of Need database, available online at https://apps.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/nysecon/AdvancedSearch.action Source with no project changes found

[3] New York State Department of Health, 2020 RHCF Cost Reports, at Pre-fatory 1, Ownership Information Operations