FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 30, 2023
Contact: April.Ezzell@1199.org, 1199SEIU Communications (716) 449-1620

Union Members Scheduled to Vote on Agreement Next Week

Buffalo, NY - More than 25 union professional and technical nursing home workers at Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany will postpone a weeklong strike after their union and employer reached a 2-year Tentative Agreement late today. Rehabilitation unit workers at two Absolut Care facilities had been working without a contract since their 2-year contract expired April 30, 2023 and were set to begin a weeklong strike next week. Union nursing home workers are represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

Caregivers at Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany (dba as RCA Servicer at Aurora Park, LLC & RCA Servicer at Allegany, LLC) have been bargaining for a fair contract for several months and had overwhelmingly voted to authorize a weeklong strike. The weeklong strike is now postponed while union members have a chance to review the agreement and to vote.

Professional and Technical union nursing home workers at Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany work as full and part time Occupational Therapists, Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA), and Sports Trainers.

“We are happy we were able to reach an agreement today, said Joshua Previte, Occupational Therapist at Absolute Care of Aurora Park. “Now, we need to take the agreement back to members, let them review it, ask questions and vote,” said Previte.

A contract ratification vote will be held next week at both facilities. Details of the agreement will not be made public until after the vote is held.

On Background:

Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany are currently undergoing a change in ownership through New York State Department of Health (project 201264). The for-profit residential health care facilities will be owned by Orly Lieberman, Michael Farbenblum, Menachem Tauber and Mordechai Mendlowitz once the application for the change is approved by New York State Department of Health.

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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.

www.1199seiu.org