1199ers at four Alaris Health nursing homes in New Jersey have given notice to their employer of their intent to hold a series of three-day strikes beginning on Tuesday, September 16.

Caregivers made the decision to strike after months of fruitless negotiations during which Alaris committed numerous unfair labor practices and refused to move off unreasonable proposals which call for significant concessions from frontline workers, including higher health premiums costing hundreds a month for family coverage and a reduction in paid sick leave and other benefits for new hires. The current contracts expired over five months ago.

“We’ve done everything we can to reach a fair settlement with Alaris,” said Gwyneth Russell, a certified nursing assistant and member of the union’s bargaining committee at Alaris Health at Harborview. “We’d rather be doing the job we love instead of going out on strike, but we can’t allow Alaris to continue violating our rights and make it harder for us to support our families and care for our residents. Quality care comes from having good, stable jobs.”

Hoping to avoid a strike, during June and July caregivers held rallies and community outreach events in Jersey City, Union City, Guttenberg, and Rochelle Park calling on Alaris to cease committing unfair labor practices and bargain over a contract that does not jeopardize quality care by reducing job standards. But the company failed to change its tenor during subsequent negotiations in August, prompting the union’s bargaining committees to submit strike notices at all four nursing homes.

“We need Alaris to negotiate in good faith so we can address important issues like staffing shortages and the lack of affordable family healthcare, ” said Max Predestin, a certified nursing assistant and member of the union’s bargaining committee at Alaris Health at Rochelle Park. “But after nearly five months of bargaining we haven’t made any progress.”

“For months, Alaris Health has engaged in a pattern of unethical and illegal behavior that jeopardizes the wellbeing of staff and their ability to deliver quality care to their patients,” said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU. “Alaris has a legal and moral obligation to bargain fairly with its employees. It is incredibly irresponsible of the company to repeatedly disregard workers’ rights and force caregivers into a position where striking is the last option they have. We do not want to strike, but we will not allow Alaris to undermine standards in nursing homes.”

To educate the public about the urgent situation at Alaris Health, 1199SEIU has launched a large radio ad campaign in Hudson and Bergen counties. The radio spot, which began airing today on WCBS-FM 101.1, 1010WINS, and CBS 880, features certified nursing assistant Ella Moton. The ad can be heard at www.Alarisk.com.