Immediate Release: October 5, 2017
Mindy Berman: 518-229-0486

MEDIA ADVISORY—TODAY!

WHERE & WHEN: ALL PICKETING WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

• The Grand at Pawling, 9 Reservoir Rd, Pawling
• The Grand at River Valley, 140 Main St, Poughkeepsie
• The Grand at Guilderland, 428 Rt. 146, Guilderland

Interviews, photo & video opportunities available on site during hours of picketing and/or call to arrange.

Background: More than seven hundred 1199SEIU members are employed at 5 upstate New York nursing homes owned by The Grand Healthcare System; those listed above and, also in Central New York’s village of Chittenango and town of Rome.

For more than 2 years, 1199SEIU members at each of these of facilities have been speaking out and alerting the employer about frequent turnover, safe staffing and its connection to quality care. They have done everything possible to negotiate contracts and policies that will support a fair workplace with livable wages and affordable benefits, and in turn will help reduce turnover, ease short-staffing, and improve continuity and overall quality care. Workers say the employer hasn’t paid attention and at every opportunity, The Grand HealthCare System, a large for-profit company, puts obstacles in the way of quality resident care.

Continuity of care at risk: According to those who will be on the picket lines, below market union wages, unaffordable health benefits and persistent disrespect for those who take care of the residents have created a revolving door of healthcare workers; they leave, new less experienced staff is hired, and they soon leave for economic security and a better work environment. Certainly, even the most dedicated nursing home workers must be able to make a living and care for themselves and their families at the same they care for residents.

Caregivers, resident families and healthcare advocates are asking, “How can The Grand nursing homes provide continuity of care to residents when there is frequent staff turnover?”

Quality care at risk: Staffing and quality of resident care data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at medicare.gov indicate the following:

1. The Grand Healthcare system underperforms on several long stay quality measures, and every facility has at least 5 quality measures in which it performs worse than the state and national average. Pawling and River Valley are both worse than the state and national averages in the six quality measures, including need for help with daily activities, catheters left inside the bladder, depressive symptoms and antipsychotics 2. One third of the Grand Healthcare system, Guilderland and Rome, perform worse than the state (2.35 or 2 hours and 21 minutes in New York) and national average (2.45 or 2 hours and 27 minutes) on CNA HPRD* (hours per resident day). 3. One third of Grand Healthcare nursing homes (2 out of 6) fall below the state average (3.96 or 3 hours and 58 minutes in New York) and the national average (4.14 or 4 hours and 8 minutes) on Total HPRD*.

*Hours Per Resident Day, measure of CNA and other nursing home employee staffing

1199SEIU healthcare workers are picketing to inform the public that the current conditions at The Grand nursing homes are a result of the employer’s business practices and that many of the staffing and care issues could be resolved by agreeing to a contract with decent wages and benefits.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 450,000 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.