After months of intense bargaining, members of 1199SEIU have won strong contracts at numerous nursing and rehabilitation facilities across Florida designed to deliver fair wages and benefits to keep pace with the rapidly rising cost of living in Florida.

With others still in negotiations, workers ratified three-year contracts at the following facilities in South Florida: Wilton Manors Health & Rehab, Unity Health & Rehab, North Beach Rehab, Jupiter Rehab, Avante at Boca Raton, Aventura Nursing & Rehab, Biscayne Health & Rehab, Jackson Gardens, Shoreside Nursing, The Sands of South Beach, and Terrace of Hialeah. In Central Florida, locations for new full three-year contracts included: Rockledge Rehab, and Bedrock rehab facilities at Vista Manor, Orlando, Winter Park and Melbourne.

In addition, 1199SEIU members ratified one-year contract extensions and negotiated wage reopeners at about 20 other facilities throughout the state.

The agreements cover thousands of employees, such as CNAs, dietary staff, housekeepers, laundry workers and other positions.
New contract highlights included solid raises, protections, bonuses and benefits, including wage increases up to 22 percent over three years at some of the facilities.

These results were strong wins and dramatic improvements over the initial contract proposals made by management. In some cases, nursing home operators even tried to cut wages, work hours, paid holidays and other essential elements workers won in previous contracts.

“It was a long, hard fight, but we stuck together and won,” said Angelette Harley 1199SEIU delegate and bargaining committee member at Rockledge Rehab. “Standing up together is the only way workers will get what we deserve and desperately need to support our families.”

With housing, insurance and other costs rising so fast in Florida, the state has become one of the least affordable in the nation for working families to feel financially secure and make ends meet. Workers also face dangerous cuts to staffing standards, intimidating immigration policies and other attacks from the Trump Administration and Tallahassee that exacerbate pressures for everyday Floridians.

“In these especially difficult times, we’re very proud of our bargaining committee members who were unified, persistent and strong-willed while knocking down unfair proposals and standing up for their coworkers,” said Dr. Carolina Ampudia, 1199SEIU organizer and chief negotiator in South Florida. “They were also very strategic, citing 1199SEIU data to move management to open their books, which poked big holes in the claim facilities don’t have sufficient resources to pay living wages.”
The 1199SEIU Bargaining Committee was able to uncover and compile information showing that facility operators have ample funding streams, assets and profitability to properly pay and protect the essential workers who serve the most vulnerable and elderly Floridians.

“The nursing home industry takes in billions of dollars each year, much of it from our taxes, so facilities can afford to properly pay workers who have critically important and demanding jobs taking care of our parents, grandparents and other loved ones,” said DeQuasia Canales, 1199SEIU Florida Executive Vice President. “The success of this contract campaign has been a step in the right direction, and we will continue to fight hard and build on it for more success for our members in the future.”