Miami, FL – Tired of making less than a living wage and struggling to provide quality care for hundreds of residents, caregivers at Plaza Health Network nursing homes and rehabilitation centers will hold a week of protests on Nov 2-5 to demand a living wage and quality care for Miami’s seniors and people living with disabilities. Plaza caregivers with decades of loyal service do not even make $15 per hour to support their families and have serious concerns about the quality of care that their residents are receiving.
“I have been working at Plaza for 40 years and barely make enough to sustain myself and my family,” says Lillie Solomon, a dietary worker at Jackson Plaza Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. “I don’t understand how they refuse to pay us what we deserve, but still have enough to pay the federal government and a whistleblower $17 million after being investigated for Medicare fraud; that’s just not fair.”
Poverty wages could also affect the quality care that Plaza offers its residents, as a result of cuts to staffing and reductions in the amount of time caregivers have to provide bedside care. Recent data on the self-proclaimed “award winning” health care company shows alarming facts about quality care at its facilities.
According to Medicare.gov Nursing Home Compare and Florida Health Finder:
• 122 deficiencies have been cited by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)
• 85% of total deficiencies cited by AHCA were related to Plaza’s failure to provide quality of care to residents
• All Plaza facilities are providing healthcare staffing hours at a level that is lower than the state and national average.
• 5 of 7 facilities have short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication at higher rate than the state and national average.
• Aventura Plaza in North Miami is on the state’s watch list for chronically dangerous nursing home conditions
Concerned about their salaries and its impacts on the conditions at the facilities, a few weeks ago over a dozen caregivers descended on Plaza’s corporate headquarters to deliver a petition with nearly 500 employees’ signatures demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The workers also challenged Plaza’s new CEO, Elaine Bloom, to take the Minimum Wage Challenge by living on their wages for one week.
Since Plaza Management and Ms. Bloom have not responded to their request, the workers will hold a week of protests from Monday, November 2nd through Thursday, November 5th in front of Sinai Plaza and Jackson Plaza in Miami, Arch Plaza in North Miami, and Aventura Plaza in North Miami Beach. The protests will consist on New Orleans-style second line funeral processions to “bury poverty wages.” 1199SEIU Florida is currently involved in contract negotiations with Plaza Health Network and these disputed issues are also being addressed at the bargaining table.
LIST OF EVENTS
Monday, November 2
Sinai Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
201 NE 112th St. Miami, FL 33161
Tuesday, November 3
Arch Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
12505 NE 16 Ave. North Miami, FL 33161
Wednesday, November 4
Aventura Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
1800 NE 168th St. North Miami Beach, FL 33162
Thursday, November 5
Jackson Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
1861 NW 8 Ave. Miami, FL 33136
# # #
1199SEIU Florida represents more than 25,000 nurses and healthcare workers in Florida. We are part of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare union with over 400,000 members.
“I have been working at Plaza for 40 years and barely make enough to sustain myself and my family,” says Lillie Solomon, a dietary worker at Jackson Plaza Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. “I don’t understand how they refuse to pay us what we deserve, but still have enough to pay the federal government and a whistleblower $17 million after being investigated for Medicare fraud; that’s just not fair.”
Poverty wages could also affect the quality care that Plaza offers its residents, as a result of cuts to staffing and reductions in the amount of time caregivers have to provide bedside care. Recent data on the self-proclaimed “award winning” health care company shows alarming facts about quality care at its facilities.
According to Medicare.gov Nursing Home Compare and Florida Health Finder:
• 122 deficiencies have been cited by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)
• 85% of total deficiencies cited by AHCA were related to Plaza’s failure to provide quality of care to residents
• All Plaza facilities are providing healthcare staffing hours at a level that is lower than the state and national average.
• 5 of 7 facilities have short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication at higher rate than the state and national average.
• Aventura Plaza in North Miami is on the state’s watch list for chronically dangerous nursing home conditions
Concerned about their salaries and its impacts on the conditions at the facilities, a few weeks ago over a dozen caregivers descended on Plaza’s corporate headquarters to deliver a petition with nearly 500 employees’ signatures demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The workers also challenged Plaza’s new CEO, Elaine Bloom, to take the Minimum Wage Challenge by living on their wages for one week.
Since Plaza Management and Ms. Bloom have not responded to their request, the workers will hold a week of protests from Monday, November 2nd through Thursday, November 5th in front of Sinai Plaza and Jackson Plaza in Miami, Arch Plaza in North Miami, and Aventura Plaza in North Miami Beach. The protests will consist on New Orleans-style second line funeral processions to “bury poverty wages.” 1199SEIU Florida is currently involved in contract negotiations with Plaza Health Network and these disputed issues are also being addressed at the bargaining table.
LIST OF EVENTS
Monday, November 2
Sinai Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
201 NE 112th St. Miami, FL 33161
Tuesday, November 3
Arch Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
12505 NE 16 Ave. North Miami, FL 33161
Wednesday, November 4
Aventura Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
1800 NE 168th St. North Miami Beach, FL 33162
Thursday, November 5
Jackson Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
1861 NW 8 Ave. Miami, FL 33136
# # #
1199SEIU Florida represents more than 25,000 nurses and healthcare workers in Florida. We are part of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare union with over 400,000 members.
