Press Release: September 16, 2024
Contact: April Ezzell, (716) 449-1620, 1199SEIU Communications

Professional Home Care Workers Believe Management Is Limiting Bargaining Dates and Hours Fearing Other Workers Will Organize As Largest Non-Profit Employer And Its Associated Companies Earn Millions In Profits

Upstate, NY – More than two dozen professional home care workers marched through University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Campus today. Workers planned to call on University of Rochester CEO and President Kathy Parrinello to provide more dates for bargaining their first contract with longer hours for each session, however she was not on site today. Instead, workers delivered their message to Senior University of Rochester leaders including Vicky Hines, Chief Operating Officer for University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group. Hines formerly held the position of president and CEO at Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester, along with various other roles in the home care sector.

“We marched on the boss today because we believe that University of Rochester is not taking our negotiations serious enough,” said Tara Petersen, Physical Therapy Assistant. “We want more sessions with longer times so we can get our first contract settled,” said Petersen.

Currently, workers and management only bargain one day per week for approximately six hours per session which is not typical. Most large employers have the capacity to bargain multiple days per week for 12 hours or more per day to expedite the process.  “It’s very unusual and not typically how bargaining works,” said Elizabeth Davila, 1199SEIU Administrative Organizer. “We want management to treat negotiations as a high priority for not just staff, but also the patients they serve in their homes,” said Davila.

About 115 professional and clinical home care workers from University of Rochester Medicine Home Care (URMHC) now represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have been negotiating their first labor contract with the largest private sector employer in Upstate, New York since early May.

After five months, progress continues to be sluggish following a change in negotiators on the University of Rochester’s side.  A Federal Mediator from Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) has joined negotiations regularly as both sides still have several outstanding non-economic issues on the table including union security language. Non-economic items must be signed off on by both sides before economic talks can begin. 

Homecare workers at the largest private sector employer in Upstate are fighting for reasonable patient caseloads, improved health and safety protections at work, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive wages to recruit and retain staff.     

As the largest private employer in Upstate, URMHC is a non-profit organization^[1].  According to 2022 IRS Tax Filings, several companies tied to URMHC earned millions in profits, while URMHC has a $2.3 million dollar endowment and a $2.6 million dollar expansion fund. 

Leaders at URMHC are top earners with six figure salaries, while professional home care workers will fight for competitive wages at the bargaining table.  Following a large turnover of homecare workers leaving URMHC, Interim President and CEO Jane Shukitis has since returned from her retirement several years ago.^[2] 

Professional and clinical home care workers from URMHC are the first and unique type of job category.  Caregivers assist patients with the transition from the hospital back into their home and provide nursing care, physical, occupational, speech therapy, medical and social work services.^[3]

Professional Home Care Workers at URHMC work as Registered Nurses, Child Life Specialists, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, Dietitians, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Pediatric Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Speech Language Pathologists.

University of Rochester Medicine Home Care (URMHC) workers provide professional home care services for patients in Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties. 

Negotiations are set to resume Tuesday, September 17 at 3:30 P.M.

On background:
Since the massive one-day strike held by bedside caregivers and service workers at University of Rochester Medical Center^[4] last year, more and more workers in Rochester are voting to join a union and secure a contract.    

Earlier this year, University of Rochester Graduate Students began forming a union to fight for living wages^[5] with the largest private sector employer in Upstate New York. 

More and more professional healthcare workers are voting to join or form unions.  In May, more than 800 Resident Physicians at the University of Buffalo formed their union^[6] and held a 4-day strike this month in Buffalo^[7]. Residents are fighting over low pay, healthcare, and retirement benefits.^[8]  

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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

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^[1] Ur Medicine Home Care Certified Services Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
^[2] UR Medicine Home Care CEO retires | News | fltimes.com
^[3] History - About UR Medicine Home Care - University of Rochester Medical Center
^[4] Over 1,000 URMC workers return to work following 1-day strike - WHEC.com
^[5] University of Rochester grad students looking to unionize (spectrumlocalnews.com)
^[6] Meet the doctors behind the UB resident physician union (buffalonews.com)
^[7] UB resident physicians begin strike | News 4 Buffalo (wivb.com)
^[8] More than 800 UB resident doctors could go on strike (buffalonews.com)