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Thousands of caregivers, still reeling from three years of the pandemic, will descend on the Capitol to call on Gov. Hochul and legislative leadership to
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CORNING - Union workers at Corning Center overwhelmingly voted Thursday to ratify a new contract increasing wages and pension contributions for staff at the nursing home.
April Ezzell, speaking for 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said the workers they represent at Corning center and two other nursing homes in the Buffalo area had been working without a contract since April 2020. The new agreement runs through April 2022.
Highlights of the new contract include significantly higher minimum rates for nursing staff, a 2-percent general wage increase, pension improvements, a yearly uniform allowance and longevity bonuses, Ezzell said.
Increasing the start rate for new hires was a major goal for the union to help with recruitment and retention of staff, she added.
Tina Black knows the horrors of Covid-19 better than most.Â
The licensed practical nurse has held the hands of seven of her favorite patients who died from the virus in the Covid unit at Schoellkopf Health Center, a nursing home in Niagara Falls.Â
She tested positive for the virus herself in the spring, experienced terrible headaches, and had to quarantine for four weeks in her bedroom, while taking precautions to avoid infecting her 16-year-old grandson who lives with her. We now have a glimmer of hope, she said.
Black said she wasn t anxious about getting immunized against the virus. I just know I wanted something to give to stop the deaths. That was really my main concern. I didnât want to make any more phone calls saying there is a change in condition. I didnât want to see any more pain and suffering. Not only in the nursing home, but in the world.