Professional Home Care Workers Negotiating First Union Contract Set To Begin Economic Talks Soon With Non-Profit Employer As Its Associated Companies Earn Millions In Profits

Upstate, NY – Workers at University of Rochester Medicine Home Care (URMHC) followed a national rising trend^[1], when they voted to join a labor union in March this year. About 115 professional and clinical home care workers from URMHC now represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have been negotiating their first labor contract with the largest private sector employer in Upstate, New York.

Negotiations between 1199SEIU and University of Rochester began early May. Progress has been sluggish following a change in negotiators on the University of Rochester’s side.  A Federal Mediator from Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) will join negotiations regularly as both sides edge towards economic talks.  

“Management isn’t giving us what we need right now at the table and they refuse to bargain long days,” said Cindy Lorenzetti, Physical Therapy Assistant. “They need to set aside more time to focus on bargaining this contract – we need more availability so we can get it done,” said Lorenzetti.

As the largest private employer in Upstate, URMHC is a non-profit organization^[2].  According to 2022 IRS Tax Filings, several companies tied to URMHC earned millions in profits, while URMHC has a $2.3 million dollar endowment and a $2.6 million dollar expansion fund. 

Leaders at URMHC are top earners with six figure salaries, while professional home care workers will fight for competitive wages at the bargaining table.  Following a large turnover of homecare workers leaving URMHC, Interim President and CEO Jane Shukitis has since returned from her retirement several years ago.^[3]

Homecare workers at the largest private sector employer in Upstate are fighting for reasonable patient caseloads, improved health and safety protections at work, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive wages to recruit and retain staff.  

 Professional and clinical home care workers from URMHC are the first and unique type of job category.  Caregivers assist patients with the transition from the hospital back into their home and provide nursing care, physical, occupational, speech therapy, medical and social work services.^[4]

Professional Home Care Workers at URHMC work as Registered Nurses, Child Life Specialists, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, Dietitians, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Pediatric Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Speech Language Pathologists.

University of Rochester Medicine Home Care (URMHC) workers provide professional home care services for patients in Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties. 

Negotiations resume after Labor Day on Tuesday, September 3 at 3:30 PM.

On background:
Since the massive one-day strike held by bedside caregivers and service workers at University of Rochester Medical Center^[5] last year, more and more workers in Rochester are voting to join a union and secure a contract.    

Earlier this year, University of Rochester Graduate Students began forming a union to fight for living wages^[6] with the largest private sector employer in Upstate New York. 

More and more professional healthcare workers are voting to join or form unions.  In May, more than 800 Resident Physicians at the University of Buffalo formed their union^[7] and are now set to strike over low pay, healthcare, and retirement benefits.^[8] 

Some 1,600 Home Health Aides, Personal Care Attendants and Consumer Directed Personal Attendants across New York State who are employed by Community Care Companions, Inc.^[9] voted to join 1199SEIU and ratified their first contract in June. More than 600 of those home care workers live in Upstate with approximately 400 of them from the Rochester area. 

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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.1199seiu.org

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^[1] University of Rochester grad students looking to unionize (spectrumlocalnews.com)
^[2] Ur Medicine Home Care Certified Services Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
^[3] UR Medicine Home Care CEO retires | News | fltimes.com
^[4] History - About UR Medicine Home Care - University of Rochester Medical Center
^[5] Over 1,000 URMC workers return to work following 1-day strike - WHEC.com
^[6] University of Rochester grad students looking to unionize (spectrumlocalnews.com)
^[7] Meet the doctors behind the UB resident physician union (buffalonews.com)
^[8] More than 800 UB resident doctors could go on strike (buffalonews.com)
^[9] communitycarehhs.com