On March 9, nursing home caregivers at Care One’s Woodcrest Health Care Center in New Milford, New Jersey voted to join 1199SEIU. The workers voted for dignity, respect and a voice in resident care. The 214 workers are now united with their colleagues at Care One’s Somerset Valley Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, who voted to join 1199 in September 2010.

This marks a particularly important victory as these workers stayed strong despite management’s aggressive anti-union campaign, which included distributing anti-union literature and regularly holding mandatory meetings with workers for five weeks leading up to the election.

“We are excited to welcome Woodcrest caregivers into our union, and I commend their bravery in the face of Care One’s anti-worker campaign,” said Milly Silva, 1199SEIU Executive Vice President for New Jersey. “We hope that management will do the right thing and sit down with us to negotiate a contract so that together we can win improvements for Woodcrest nursing home workers, their families and their residents.”

Brothers Daniel and Moshael Straus run the Care One and HealthBridge nursing home companies, which operate in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and other states. Some of these nursing home facilities have interfered with workers’ legally protected rights to form a union, refused to recognize the union after workers voted for union representation, or have threatened to slash healthcare benefits, staffing and wages for caregivers. In Connecticut, HealthBridge locked out 100 caregiver members of District 1199 New England, after failing to come to a contract agreement.

The National Labor Relations Board has issued numerous complaints against Care One, and has ordered the company to bargain in good faith with 1199SEIU at Care One’s Somerset facility.

For more information, visit www.CareOneWatch.org.