Contacts: Allison Krause | (315) 679-6032
Larry Knox | (585) 500-­‐5634 | larry.knox@1199.org

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 7, 2018

We are dedicated healthcare workers who are passionate about providing quality care for the people in our Rochester community. Many of us have worked at Anthony L. Jordan for decades, and we love the work we do. That’s why when the Federal Mediator proposed a one-­‐year wage freeze for us we accepted it, despite the negative impact that it would have on our own families - we felt that this compromise represented an opportunity to protect our patients from the distraction and inconvenience that a labor dispute can cause.

We are disappointed that the Jordan Board refuses to compromise for the good of our patients. Their decision to deny us a small wage increase in exchange for our initial sacrifice cannot be for financial reasons alone, when there is only a six-­month difference in the timing of a small 1% wage increase (January 2021 instead of July 2020) separating the Federal Mediator’s settlement proposal from Jordan Health’s counter-­‐proposal. Without the 1% increase, that would cost Jordan Health a mere $16,000, the health insurance plan we currently have would be underfunded putting the health benefits we rely on at risk. This is unacceptable.

We want to thank Mayor Lovely Warren, NYS Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, NYS Assembly Member Harry Bronson, City Council President Loretta Scott, City Council Vice-­president Adam McFadden, City Council Member Michael Patterson, and Father Laurence Tracy for their letter to the Board of Directors encouraging them to accept the Federal Mediator’s proposal. We agree that it is time for "this important community agency and its employees to move forward and get back to your work in providing health care to your patients."

Most of all we would like to thank our community for their support and of course, our patients for their understanding and encouragement. We have put our lives on hold these past three days, standing up to protect the values most dear to us; quality care for our patients, affordable health insurance for our families, and economic stability for us all. We will continue to fight for respect and justice and hope you will stand with us.

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1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East represents over 200,000 hospital, nursing home, and homecare workers in New York State. Locally, the union also represents employees of the University of Rochester Medical Center and six nursing homes. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

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