Jessica Hill / AP
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont reached a deal between the state’s largest health care workers’ union and the nursing home industry late Thursday afternoon that would avert a strike Friday at 26 facilities. The nursing home operators still must finalize contract details with workers.
The agreement came two hours after the administration sweetened its offer to fund the industry in the next state budget. Nursing home operators still must finalize contract details with workers
“We have a basic agreement, which is a four-year deal, to put front-and-center our nurses who have been there at the nursing homes taking care of our seniors through thick and thin over the last 14 months,” Lamont said at 4:20 p.m. as he opened his televised briefing on the state’s coronavirus containment efforts. “And they will be getting a significant raise over the next four years.”
Credit Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont says his administration has received copies of strike postponement notices at 26 nursing homes from District 1199 SEIU and New England Health Care Employees Union.
The unions had planned to lead thousands workers on a strike Friday morning over staffing shortages and low-pay. The Democratic governor detailed the agreement Thursday afternoon.
“Which is a four-year deal that puts front and center our nurses who have been there at the nursing homes taking care of our seniors through thick and thin over the last of 14 months,” Lamont said. “They’ll be getting a significant raise over the next four years. We originally had a two-year deal, now it’s a four-year agreement.”
SEIU calls off strike by Connecticut nursing home workers, accepts governor’s inadequate last-minute deal
Connecticut Democratic Governor Ned Lamont, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and nursing home operators reached an eleventh-hour agreement to prevent 2,800 workers at 26 nursing homes throughout the state from going on strike early Friday morning. The deal will also prevent another 1,200 workers at other facilities from striking May 28.
The proposed agreement provides raises that are inadequate to ensure these essential workers a decent living in one of the country’s more expensive states. Moreover, it does not address workers’ demands for improved staffing ratios in nursing homes, which have been ravaged by COVID-19 infections and deaths.
Published May 13. 2021 8:04PM | Updated May 13. 2021 9:04PM
By SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press
Unionized nursing home workers on Thursday agreed to postpone planned strikes on Friday at 26 facilities after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont s administration reached a “basic agreement” with union leaders and nursing homes operators that includes $267 million in state funds to help pay for historic wage increases.
District 1199 New England, SEIU, also announced it has already reached a tentative four-year contract with iCare Health Network, owner of 11 of the homes, that will set a $20 hourly minimum wage for certified nursing assistants and a $30 hourly minimum wage for licensed practiced nurses.
Meanwhile, the union said it has issued new strike notices for the 26 facilities, with roughly 2,800 residents and 2,800 unionized workers, for June 7 to give more time for negotiations on final agreements with iCare, Genesis Healthcare and Autumn Lake Healthcare.
Nursing home union not declaring victory yet despite strike cancellation
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Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199 New England, stood with nursing home workers who came to the state Capitol in Hartford, Conn. on Wednesday May 1, 2019 to renew their threats of a strike.Emilie Munson / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo
The strike of thousands of nursing home workers is off, but the standoff continues even with the crisis eased.
The state’s largest health care union has reached a deal with just one of the nine nursing home companies targeted. The union is prepared to take that deal to the remaining operators to get them to agree to new four-year contracts that include significant wage increases and enhanced benefits for workers.