Over 200 nursing home workers in Tonawanda and Williamsville  withdraw 10-day strike notices as tentative agreement is reached 

Buffalo, NY – Nursing home workers at Safire Care of Northtowns and Williamsville Suburban Care Center reached 3-year Tentative Agreements with their employer. The two new deals come as workers at Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace overwhelmingly vote to ratify new 3-year labor deal.  Caregivers are represented by 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East. 

“We just negotiated our contract and it’s an excellent contract. It was a good strong committee and we did it! I’m proud of the contract,” said Yedda Burton, Certified Nurse Assistant and union delegate at Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace. 

“We have a new contract and it’s well deserved! It took a long fight, but we got it done,” said Jason Howard, Cook at Ascension Living Our Lady Peace. 

The new three-year deal at Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace in Lewiston met workers’ demands after more than a year without a labor contract.  The new contract includes improvements to wage scales that result in wage increases averaging 22% in the first year, and 5% increases for all employees in years two and three of the contract.  In addition, workers won increased shift differentials and preceptor pay, and increases to employer provided benefits including pension, dental, and optical. The new agreement expires April 30, 2028. 

As three more facilities wrap up contract talks, earlier this week, 1199SEIU requested a mediator from Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) to join contract talks with the McGuire Group in advance of the strikes set to begin next week at Absolut Care of Gasport, North Gate, and Garden Gate. Today the McGuire Group agreed to the request and provided the mediator is available, they will join bargaining tomorrow with the union and Absolut Care of Gasport and then with the other 4 McGuire facilities on Monday, just one day before strikes are set to begin. 

Next week, 11 facilities will begin strikes starting Tuesday, May 20^th at 6:00 AM over contract talks and staffing levels. Last week, 1199SEIU issued 10-day notices on behalf of workers to 15 long-term care facilities in Western New York to hold a weeklong strike.  However, new 3-year contracts have been ratified at Schoellkopf Health Center and Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace. Ratification votes will be held for Safire of the Northtowns and Williamsville Suburban after the parties reached a tentative agreement today. Contract negotiations late this evening with Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Home resulted in a postponement of the strike as both parties made significant progress in contract talks. Caregivers have been bargaining since late February in an effort to reach agreements at 27 homes in total - now 24.

Thousands of nursing home workers at 11 facilities in Upstate Western New York participating in 7-day strikes beginning Tuesday, May 20 are fighting for better staffing levels, quality affordable health insurance benefits, fair and living wages, and pension improvements. Workers believe that this comprehensive benefits package including training and education, and a childcare fund will boost staffing levels at upstate care facilities. 

 The 7-day strike at 11 facilities begins Tuesday, May 20 from 6:00 AM until Tuesday, May 27 at 5:59 AM. Caregivers will not report to work, instead they will walk picket lines daily from 6AM until 6PM in front of the following facilities:

The following 11 bargaining units begin strikes next week:

1. Absolut Care of Gasport*
2. Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing 
3. Comprehensive Rehab and Nursing Center at Williamsville 
4. Elderwood at Lockport*
5. Elderwood at Williamsville*
6. Ellicott Center 
7. Garden Gate Manor
8. Newfane Rehabilitation & Health Center 
9. North Gate Manor
10. Schofield Residence
11. The Grand at Delaware Park

*Denotes Unfair Labor Practice strike

 The strikes follow twenty-two (22) informational pickets held last month that signaled the start of a bigger struggle for thousands of Upstate Western New York nursing home workers.  In addition, caregivers held marches on the boss at multiple care homes to demand better from their employers.^[1] The video of workers marching on the boss at Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Buffalo has now been viewed more than 53,000 times as workers put a face to the need for improved staffing in a Buffalo nursing home owned and operated by Kenny Rozenberg and Bronx-based Centers Healthcare. 

Caregivers at every job action and picket drew attention to staffing levels in area homes.  Workers at Newfane Rehabilitation & Nursing held signs saying: “2 Aides for 52 residents,” as they marched and chanted in front of their rural Niagara County facility last month.

 Support for caregivers is growing.  "More work with less help" is not a philosophy that will benefit hard working caregivers, patients, or the health care system in our region. Both in Albany and locally, I have been fighting to increase reimbursement rates that will deliver more than $440 million to nursing homes across our state. It is essential that the owners of these facilities pass along those funds to the men and women who work in challenging conditions and who are entrusted to care for our vulnerable loved ones," said Senator April N.M. Baskin, NY SD-63. 

Negotiations continue daily.  To date, 1199SEIU has filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of workers alleging bad faith bargaining against owners and operators of the following facilities:

1. Elderwood at Lockport 
2. Elderwood at Williamsville 
3. Absolut Care of Aurora Park
4. Absolut Care of Allegany
5. Absolut Care of Gasport

“The largest for-profit nursing home chains are unwilling to negotiate contracts that will help to recruit and retain staff and it’s disrespectful to these workers who have sacrificed so much,” said Grace Bogdanove, 1199SEIU Vice-President for WNY Nursing Homes. 

“Some employers are threatening to stop health insurance coverage for employees who opt to strike and attempting to intimidate workers by monitoring those who participate in union meetings,” said Bogdanove. 

 “We are tired of delays and frequent let downs. We are a skilled team of professionals and contribute so much to the company. We play an important role in the overall health and well-being of our residents. We want a contract that reflects the value we bring every day,” said Joshua Previte, Occupational Therapist at Absolut Care of Aurora Park.

 “I’ve worked at the facility almost 15 years and we love our residents.  We are dedicated professionals and we just want that to be recognized with fair and competitive wages,” said Jessica Kramer, Director of Social Services at Absolut Care of Allegany. 

Nursing home worker unrest in the WNY region grows as caregivers call on nursing home owners, the NYS Department of Health, and elected officials to make changes to improve staffing levels. While New York has a staffing law in place, it is very difficult to ascertain if fines are being issued and if changes are happening to improve staffing as many worker accounts dispute any staffing improvements as a result of the law^[2].

Nursing home workers are part of an historic campaign that includes 27 different long-term care facilities in Erie, Niagara, Allegany, and Cattaraugus Counties.  Of the facilities in contract talks, 24 are for-profit and 3 are not-for profit.  There are common owners at 15 long-term care facilities including: RCA Group, Centers Healthcare, Elderwood Group, McGuire Group, Personal Healthcare, and the Sherman Family.

Negotiations for most began late February.  Union contracts covering a majority of the nursing homes expired April 30, 2025, with the exception of the two Elderwood facilities whose contract already expired.  For-profit owners of Elderwood implemented their last, best, and final offer. Elderwood cut daily overtime, threatening adequate staffing on evening and overnight shifts, and changed the workers’ health insurance coverage.  

“Elderwood cut off our daily overtime.  A lot of facilities don’t offer daily overtime to help with staffing and it attracted people to work here.  When management took that away, some people quit – it was a perk and people were depending on it.  It’s time for us to unite and stand together as one and that’s why we will picket,” said Lois Lovett, Certified Nurse Assistant at Elderwood at Williamsville. 

Staffing levels are key sticking point in contract talks.  According to CMS data reported January 1, 2025, Buffalo Center,^[3] Ellicott Center^[4], Elderwood at Lockport, and Elderwood Williamsville^[5] all had total number of nurse staff hours rated below the national and state averages and workers are speaking out to demand improved staffing levels.

Union members work as Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Licensed Physical Therapy Assistants, Environmental Service Workers, Maintenance Workers, Dietary and Food Service Workers, Housekeeping & Laundry Workers, Clerical Workers, and Unit Clerks.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.
https://www.1199seiu.org

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^[1] https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AtsheFDfR/, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ACbJrwW5E/, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EKtFobVVP/, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15hsKURWcx/, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BmFu9Hve6/  
^[2] health.ny.gov/facilities/nursing/minimum_staffing/
^[3] Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare
^[4] Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare
^[5] U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Care Compare, Nursing Homes Including Rehab Services, Staffing, Elderwood at Lockport and Elderwood at Williamsville, last visited on 4/8/2025 and available online at:  https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/