FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: AprilE@1199.org, 716-449-1620
After 7/11, please contact Allison.Krause@1199.org, 315-679-6032

**PRESS RELEASE**

With low wages and staff turnover of more than 50%, workers are demanding that for-profit out-of-town owners invest in recruitment and retention to staffing and resident care.[1]

WHO: Long term Caregivers at 9 Nursing Homes

WHAT: One-Day Strikes!

WHEN: Tuesday, July 12 & Wednesday, July 13
**PRESS CONFERENCE 10AM**

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2022 FROM 7AM-5PM

1. **Autumn View Health Care Facility, 4650 Southwestern Blvd, Hamburg, NY 14075

2. Fiddler’s Green Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 168 W Main St, Springville, NY 14141

3. Gowanda Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, 100 Miller St, Gowanda, NY 14070

4. Humboldt House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, 64 Hager St, Buffalo, NY 14208

5. Seneca Health Care Center, 2987 Seneca St, West Seneca, NY 14224

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 FROM 7AM-5PM

1. **Elderwood at Lockport, 104 Old Niagara Rd, Lockport, NY 14094

2. Elderwood at Williamsville, 200 Bassett Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221

3. Garden Gate Health Care Facility, 2365 Union Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14227

4. North Gate Health Care Facility, 7624 Nash Rd, North Tonawanda, NY 14120

WHY: More than 1,000 long term caregivers at now 9 for-profit nursing homes across Western New York whose union contracts expired will hold one-day strikes in demand for fair wages. Caregivers represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East are asking for a $15 minimum wage for service workers, higher start rates for new employees, and standardized wage scales based on experience. Caregivers say wage improvements within all four ownership groups (covering 9 facilities) are needed to retain experienced workers to care for residents, but also to recruit new workers to help with critically understaffed facilities.

Three of the twelve facilities originally planning to strike resolved the wage dispute this weekend, reaching an agreement on $15 minimum wage for service workers, wage scales for experience, and higher starting rate of pay across all job titles, and 1199SEIU has withdrawn the strike notices for those three facilities. Newfane Rehabilitation members now join other caregivers at Buffalo Center & Ellicott Center in resolving their wage dispute. Both Buffalo Center & Ellicott Center will return to the table on Thursday and are looking forward to reaching a tentative agreement after resolving a small number of outstanding issues.

1199SEIU has also received counter proposals from some of the remaining 9 facilities in a clear effort by some employers to settle the wage disputes and avoid the strikes. Both sides are working diligently to try to reach agreements. “We were excited to hear back from management this weekend but unfortunately their counter proposal doesn’t meet our demands,” says Tammy Burdick, Certified Nurse Assistant at Gowanda Rehabilitation. “We will be moving forward with our one-day strike alongside other facilities unless we win the wages we need,” says Burdick.

Caregivers at 9 other long-term care facilities are still planning to strike, including four McGuire facilities indirectly owned and operated by Edward Farbenblum[2]. “I’ve been there 9 years and I don’t even make $15 per hour,” said Donna Gregory, Certified Nurse Assistant at Garden Gate in Cheektowaga. “It’s tough and it hurts. It makes me feel that I’m not worth anything, but I stay for my residents because I love what I do,” said Gregory.

ON BACKGROUND:

Last week, 1199SEIU filed 5 unfair labor practice charges against the McGuire Group alleging that the for-profit long-term care owners deliberately engaged in tactics of intimidation against union members planning to participate in one-day strikes. The union requested a federal mediator join negotiations after McGuire made no movement during bargaining. McGuire declined to have a Federal Mediator join negotiations in advance of the one-day strikes scheduled this week.

Workers say continuity of care from long term caregivers is key. “In-house people care more for the residents than people coming from outside who don’t know them,” says Kaylyn Carney, Certified Nurse Assistant at Fiddler’s Green in Springville. “The people in here are like my family and I treat them as family. People just don’t know them and come in to just do a job and go home. This is my life, I take care of people for a living,” says Carney.

“I know some facilities are short staffed, but perhaps if they paid them more, then they would be able to hire more people,” said Anita Mullane, Former Niagara County Legislator and concerned family member.

“Some of the kitchens are working with only 3 people and there should be at least 6 or 8,” said Rebecca Pettis, Cook at Autumn View Health Care Facility in Hamburg. “When we are short, we have to work harder and miss our breaks just to get residents their food on time,” said Pettis.

Caregivers at the twelve long-term care facilities work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Personal Care Attendants, Housekeeping, Dietary Aides, Cooks, Laundry Aides, and Maintenance Workers.

Autumn View Health Care Facility, Garden Gate Health Care Facility, North Gate Health Care Facility, and Seneca Health Care Facility are Indirectly owned and operated Edward Farbenblum and Orly Lieberman[3]. Buffalo Center & Ellicott Center are indirectly owned & operated by Kenneth Rozenberg and Jeff Sicklick. Elderwood at Lockport and Elderwood at Williamsville are indirectly owned & operated by Jeffrey Rubin and Warren Cole. Fiddler’s Green is indirectly owned and operated by Jeffrey Goldstein and Chaim Lowenbraun. Gowanda Rehabilitation is indirectly owned and operated by Batia Zagelbaum; Esther Barth; Chaya Walden; Yechiel Zagelbaum; and Yoel Zagelbaum. Humboldt House is indirectly owned and operated by Jeffrey Goldstein; Lea Sherman; Alexander Sherman; Esther Mendlowitz; Tzvi Sherman; Yehuda B Sherman; and Hindi Amsel. Newfane Rehabilitation is indirectly owned and operated by Maximus Newfane, LLC - Jonah Jay Lobell; Yisroel A Bornstein; Henry Steinmetz; Yaakov Weitman; and Nisson Hirsch.[4]

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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] The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing homes including rehab services data archive, Provider Data,

NH_ProviderInfo (May 2020 - April 2022), available online at: https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/archived-data/nursing-homes

2, 3 SOURCE: New York State Department of Health, Certificate of Need database, available online at https://apps.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/nysecon/AdvancedSearch.action Source with no project changes found

[4] New York State Department of Health, 2020 RHCF Cost Reports, at Pre-fatory 1, Ownership Information Operations

2, 3 SOURCE: New York State Department of Health, Certificate of Need database, available online at https://apps.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/nysecon/AdvancedSearch.action Source with no project changes found

[4] New York State Department of Health, 2020 RHCF Cost Reports, at Pre-fatory 1, Ownership Information Operations