FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Interview Opportunity

Caregivers Demand Fair Union Contracts Including $15 per hour, Standard Wage Scales Based on Experience, and Better Staffing Levels While For-Profit Downstate/NJ Owners File Lawsuit Against NYS Nursing Home Reforms Requiring 3.5 Hours of Care and Investments to Improve Staffing Levels For Residents^[1]

WHO: For-Profit Nursing Home Workers

WHAT: Informational Pickets at 5 Nursing Homes

WHEN: (Wednesday, June 15, 2022) AND Thursday, June 16, 2022, Interview Opportunity 2:00pm-2:30pm

WHERE: (Weds, 6/15 - Fiddler’s Green Manor Home, 168 W Main St, Springville, NY 14141)*^[2]
Thurs, 6/16 – Autumn View Health Care Facility, 4650 Southwestern Blvd, Hamburg, NY 14075
Garden Gate Health Care Facility, 2365 Union Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
North Gate Health Care Facility, 7624 Nash Rd, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Seneca Health Care Center, 2987 Seneca St, West Seneca, NY 14224

WHY: More than 1,200 for-profit nursing home workers at 12 for-profit homes across WNY whose union contracts expired April 30, 2022 joined together in their fight for fair wages from out-of-town ownership groups based in New York City/New Jersey. Caregivers are asking for a $15 minimum wage for service workers, higher start rates for new employees, and wage scales based on experience. Workers at 5 for-profit facilities are set to hold informational pickets next week to bring attention to lack of fair wages and poor staffing levels. Caregivers are represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

Informational pickets will be held next week at Fiddler’s Green Manor in Springville owned and operated by Jeffrey Goldstein and Chaim Lowenbraun and four McGuire group facilities owned by Edward Farbenblum^[3] including Autumn View Health Care Center in Hamburg, Garden Gate Health Care Facility in Cheektowaga, North Gate Manor in North Tonawanda, and Seneca Health Care Center in West Seneca.

It’s not about me, it’s about the residents, it’s about the dignity for the residents,” says Awilda Villanueva, Certified Nurse Assistant at Seneca Health Care Center. When we say contract it’s not just about staff, it’s about the residents. McGuire is thinking about dollar signs and not the dignity of our residents that we serve,” says Villanueva.

This month, 1199SEIU announced a joint campaign of more than 1,200 for-profit nursing home workers who will plan coordinated job actions across our region to fight for a $15 minimum wage for service workers, higher starting rates for new caregivers, and wage scales for experienced caregivers - all to improve critically short-staffed for-profit homes trying to meet New York State’s requirement for 3.5 hours^[4] of care per resident per day.

Caregivers at Fiddler’s Green work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Rehabilitation Therapy Aides, Activity Aides, Activity Leaders, Maintenance, Housekeeping Aides, Laundry Aides, Dietary Cooks, and Dietary Aides. Healthcare Workers at the 4 McGuire facilities work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Personal Care Attendants, Housekeeping, Dietary Aides, Laundry Aides, and Maintenance Workers.

On Background:

This month, local caregivers told stories to Congressman Brian Higgins and other elected officials at a closed-door roundtable, highlighting the importance of trying to provide care to the most vulnerable residents while fighting for-profit downstate companies for fair wages!^[5]

Local caregivers took their fight to a national level this week in a coordinated and sustained campaign that will include worker mobilizations, advocacy, and investment aimed at reaching the Biden Administration, state officials, and for-profit downstate nursing home employers directly. The Biden Administration has begun proposing measures to improve nursing home jobs and hold employers accountable, in part because nursing home workers have raised their voices directly to administration officials to demand reform.

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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.nursinghomestaffingaccountability.com/

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[1] Nursing homes file lawsuit seeking to overturn NY's minimum staffing law | WBFO

[2] Advanced or day of Interviews by phone or zoom upon request, due to location

[3] New CEO named to oversee McGuire Group, Absolut Care, VestraCare networks - Buffalo Business First (bizjournals.com)

[4] https://www.nursinghomestaffingaccountability.com/

[5] Local nursing home workers join nationwide fight for reform | WUTV (wutv29.com)