For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Contact: Allison Krause, (315) 679-6032, allison.krause@1199.org
Larry Knox, (585) 500-5634, larry.knox@1199.org

Jordan Health Center refuses fair settlement — workers take a stand for good jobs and quality patient care in Rochester

WHAT: Three-Day Work Stoppage and Picket
WHEN: Beginning Tuesday, June 5 at 8:00 a.m.
WHERE: Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, 82 Holland St, Rochester, NY
WHO: 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers

Today, Tuesday, June 5, 65 healthcare workers represented by 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East, at Anthony L. Jordan Health Center are conducting a three-day work stoppage to protest the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Contract negotiations with Jordan Health began in November and stalled a few months later. In March, workers picketed the facility to alert the community to the issues at the bargaining table, and on April 30, employees walked off the job to protest the Center's refusal to properly fund their health insurance plan in spite of an estimated $150,000 reduction in cost.

A Federal Mediator, a neutral third-party experienced in providing alternative solutions for overcoming barriers in labor disputes, has been overseeing negotiations for months.

In May, the Mediator offered a settlement proposal to both sides. That proposal would grant significant financial relief to the Center, guarantee health benefits for healthcare workers, and provide modest wage increases in the later years of the contract. The 1199SEIU Negotiating Committee unanimously accepted this compromise settlement "in order to end the dispute and get back to our main focus -- providing quality patient care."

To date, Jordan's administration has ignored the Federal Mediator’s guidance and has refused to accept the settlement proposal. It is this "misguided" refusal that has forced the 1199 healthcare workers to move forward with their plan for a three-day strike.

“When Jordan administration treats us poorly, they are also disrespecting our patients and the people in our community that come here for care. We are standing up for our patients and the quality care they deserve today, just as we do every day,” said Minerva Felix-Torres, a medical referral secretary who has worked at Jordan in various capacities for nearly 40 years.

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