The agency cites violation of federal court injunction, seeks reinstatement of previous wages and benefits for workers and prospective fines against the Fort Lee, NJ-based company
Hartford,CT –On Thursday, May 30, the National Labor Relations Board Region 1, Sub Region 34, filed a motion to hold Fort Lee, NJ-based HealthBridge and its Senior Vice President for Labor Relations, Lisa Crutchfield, in civil contempt for continuing to violate the District Court’s Section 10 (j) Injunction Order issued on December 11, 2012.
The NLRB is ultimately seeking an order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut finding HealthBridge and Ms. Crutchfield in civil contempt. If the NLRB prevails, and is awarded the relief it seeks, the Court will issue a Contempt and Purgation Order requiring compliance with the terms of the injunction, along with payment of prospective fines, including payments of future fines until Healthbridge and Ms. Crutchfield comply. According to the NLRB’s motion, civil contempt is appropriate because HealthBridge and Ms. Crutchfield “[have] violated and disobeyed, and [continue] to violate and disobey, the Injunctive Order issued by this Court.” The motion goes on to state: “…Respondent HealthBridge did not, and is not, complying with the Court’s Injunctive Order because bargaining unit employees are working under terms and conditions of employment different from those previously in place on June 16, 2012.”
“We applaud the NLRB for sending the message that HealthBridge cannot be allowed to flout federal labor law,” said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “The Care One workers that we represent have also experienced unfair treatment, and we stand with the workers at HealthBridge.”
Daniel Straus and his brother Moshael Straus run the Care One and the HealthBridge nursing home chains. Both of these companies have repeatedly shown that they are willing to spend resources on fighting their own employees-resources that could be better put toward providing care. Care One and HealthBridge have been found by Administrative Law Judges to have violated federal labor law 23 times. Some nursing homes run by Straus’ companies have cut healthcare benefits, staffing and wages for caregivers, have unlawfully fired workers for trying to form a union, or have refused to recognize their legally protected right to form a union.
In December 2012, a U.S. District Court Judge issued an injunction requiring HealthBridge to reinstate the workers who had been on strike since July 2012. The injunction also ordered the company to reinstate the previous wages, family healthcare benefits and other terms and conditions of employment that were in effect prior to June 16, 2012. These workers went back to work on March 3, 2013. However, they are not working under the terms and conditions in effect prior to June 16, 2012.
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With 350,000 members in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida and Washington D.C., 1199SEIU is the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the country. Our mission is to achieve quality care and quality jobs for all.
Hartford,CT –On Thursday, May 30, the National Labor Relations Board Region 1, Sub Region 34, filed a motion to hold Fort Lee, NJ-based HealthBridge and its Senior Vice President for Labor Relations, Lisa Crutchfield, in civil contempt for continuing to violate the District Court’s Section 10 (j) Injunction Order issued on December 11, 2012.
The NLRB is ultimately seeking an order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut finding HealthBridge and Ms. Crutchfield in civil contempt. If the NLRB prevails, and is awarded the relief it seeks, the Court will issue a Contempt and Purgation Order requiring compliance with the terms of the injunction, along with payment of prospective fines, including payments of future fines until Healthbridge and Ms. Crutchfield comply. According to the NLRB’s motion, civil contempt is appropriate because HealthBridge and Ms. Crutchfield “[have] violated and disobeyed, and [continue] to violate and disobey, the Injunctive Order issued by this Court.” The motion goes on to state: “…Respondent HealthBridge did not, and is not, complying with the Court’s Injunctive Order because bargaining unit employees are working under terms and conditions of employment different from those previously in place on June 16, 2012.”
“We applaud the NLRB for sending the message that HealthBridge cannot be allowed to flout federal labor law,” said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “The Care One workers that we represent have also experienced unfair treatment, and we stand with the workers at HealthBridge.”
Daniel Straus and his brother Moshael Straus run the Care One and the HealthBridge nursing home chains. Both of these companies have repeatedly shown that they are willing to spend resources on fighting their own employees-resources that could be better put toward providing care. Care One and HealthBridge have been found by Administrative Law Judges to have violated federal labor law 23 times. Some nursing homes run by Straus’ companies have cut healthcare benefits, staffing and wages for caregivers, have unlawfully fired workers for trying to form a union, or have refused to recognize their legally protected right to form a union.
In December 2012, a U.S. District Court Judge issued an injunction requiring HealthBridge to reinstate the workers who had been on strike since July 2012. The injunction also ordered the company to reinstate the previous wages, family healthcare benefits and other terms and conditions of employment that were in effect prior to June 16, 2012. These workers went back to work on March 3, 2013. However, they are not working under the terms and conditions in effect prior to June 16, 2012.
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With 350,000 members in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida and Washington D.C., 1199SEIU is the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the country. Our mission is to achieve quality care and quality jobs for all.
