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Contract talks for nearly 4,000 unionized workers at 27 different nursing homes in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Erie, and Niagara Counties Began Late February As Union Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against WNY’s Largest Nursing Home Chains

WHO: Nursing Home Workers, Elected Officials, and Community Supporters

WHAT: Informational Pickets

WHEN: Next week

WHERE: 
Monday, April 7 
o Elderwood at Lockport, 104 Old Niagara Rd, Lockport, NY 14094  
o PRESS CONFERENCE at 2:30 PM

Wednesday, April 9
o Garden Gate Manor, 2365 Union Road, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
o PRESS CONFERENCE AT 2:30 PM

 

WHY?
1199SEIU issued 10-day notices to six (6) long-term care facilities in WNY last week including two of the largest nursing home chains in Western New York. Caregivers at six facilities in Erie and Niagara Counties will participate in informational picketing outside their facilities before/after work or during their lunch or break time. Caregivers are represented by 1199SEIU, the largest healthcare workers union in the country.  

The first six pickets happening next week signal the start of a bigger struggle for thousands of Western New York nursing home workers. This week, caregivers held marches on the boss at three different sites to demand more from their employers. The union representing bedside caregivers and service workers filed unfair labor practice charges against two of the largest for-profit WNY Nursing Home chains for bargaining in bad faith, with one refusing to negotiate at all.   

Thousands of nursing home workers participating in the coordinated campaign are fighting for fair and living wages, quality affordable health insurance benefits, and pension improvements that will recruit and retain more workers to provide care for residents. Workers believe that a comprehensive benefits package including quality health insurance, training and education, and a childcare fund will improve staffing levels at area nursing homes.

Nursing home workers are part of an historic coordinated campaign that includes 27 different long-term care facilities in Erie, Niagara, Allegany, and Cattaraugus Counties. Of the facilities in contract talks, 24 are for-profit and 3 are not-for profit. Negotiations for most began late February. Union contracts covering a majority of the nursing homes are set to expire April 30, 2025.

The workers’ fight is part of a broader and more systemic problem facing many nursing homes in New York State. Most of the for-profit nursing home groups reported a loss in 2022 but at the same time many racked up millions and millions of dollars in related party transactions. Related party transactions are a way for nursing homeowners to pay related companies they have ownership or interest in for services provided to the nursing home they own such as laundry, pharmaceuticals, and staffing.  The New York State Department of Health issued guidelines that owners must publicly disclose any related companies that provide services to a long-term care facility. because the NYS DOH have not created a website to implement a standard uniform reporting system, some nursing homes are disclosing some of the required information on their websites.  

Of the more than 20 care facilities, there are common owners at 15 care facilities including: RCA Group, Centers for Healthcare, Elderwood Group, McGuire Group, Personal Healthcare, and the Sherman Family.

“Elderwood cut off our daily overtime. A lot of facilities don’t offer daily overtime to help with staffing and it attracted people to work here. When management took that away, some people quit – it was a perk and people were depending on it. It’s time for us to unite and stand together as one and that’s why we will picket,” said Lois Lovett, Certified Nurse Assistant at Elderwood at Williamsville. 

“Elderwood has bargained in bad faith by implementing sub-par wages and benefits without a mutual agreement with workers and refusing to come to the table to engage in contract talks,” said Grace Bogdanove, 1199SEIU Vice-President for WNY Nursing Homes. “Until just this week, the McGuire group was also refusing to bargain, further delaying much-needed wage and benefit increases that would provide for the recruitment and retention necessary to adequately staff these 4 homes,” said Bogdanove. “Just a couple years after the pandemic, these for-profit owners seem to have forgotten the sacrifice made by healthcare workers, and the continued sacrifices caregivers make on behalf of the residents they care for. These workers must also care for themselves and their families and need living wages and benefits to do so. As we proceed with contract negotiations at 27 facilities, we plan to engage in informational picketing at various locations to inform our communities about the critical issues that caregivers are fighting for," said Bogdanove.  

This week, informational pickets will be held at: 

• Elderwood at Lockport, 104 Old Niagara Rd, Lockport, NY 14094 
• Elderwood at Williamsville, 200 Bassett Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221
• Autumn View Manor, 4650 Southwestern Blvd, Hamburg, NY 14075
• Garden Gate Manor, 2365 Union Road, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
• Seneca Manor, 2987 Seneca St, West Seneca, NY 14224
• North Gate Manor, 7624 Nash Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120

In addition, 1199SEIU has issued 10-day notices to hold informational pickets at the following facilities in Buffalo the week of April 14. 

- Buffalo Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation
- Ellicott Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation
- The Grand at Delaware Park

Union members work as Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Licensed Physical Therapy Assistants, Environmental Service Workers, Maintenance Workers, Dietary and Food Service Workers, Housekeeping & Laundry Workers, Clerical Workers, and Unit Clerks.

Nearly 4,000 union nursing home members participating in the coordinated campaign provide care at:

• Absolut Care of Allegany – Professional & Technical 
• Absolut Care of Aurora Park - Professional & Technical
• Autumn View Manor
• Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing
• Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Williamsville
• Dunkirk Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
• Eden Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
• Elderwood at Lockport
• Elderwood at Williamsville
• Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing
• Fiddlers Green Manor
• Garden Gate Manor
• Gowanda Nursing Home
• Houghton Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
• Humboldt House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
• Newfane Rehabilitation & Health Center
• North Gate Manor
• Our Lady of Peace
• Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns
• Salamanca Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
• Schoellkopf Health Center
• Schofield Residence
• Seneca Manor
• The Grand at Delaware Park
• Williamsville Suburban Care Center 

 

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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