New York nursing home members came together to protect union jobs and improve recruitment and retention across the industry.

More than 30,000 members working in hundreds of nursing homes across downstate New York achieved major contract victories on August 17. For only the second time, members from the "Greater NY" and "Group" nursing homes bargained together at a single table, combining their strength to defend and raise standards throughout the nursing home industry.

Members encountered an aggressive bargaining agenda from management, including proposals that would have allowed facilities to hire up to 20 agency and "no-frills" workers at each nursing home. Bargaining committee members viewed the proposal as a direct threat to union jobs, quality care, and workforce stability.

Drawing a Line in the Sand

Mary Samaroo, an LPN at Queens Nassau Nursing and Rehab, was among the bargaining committee members who opposed management's proposal.

“With lots of agency in a nursing home, there is no accountability. They find the workload is too much and they leave.”
“Our residents need dedicated, permanent staff to care for them. After all, this is their home, and we are their family.”
“That’s why we had to draw a line in the sand.”

Samaroo and other committee members argued that increasing reliance on temporary workers would undermine continuity of care and weaken the long-term workforce that residents depend on every day.

Member Action Delivers Results

Thousands of members took action in their facilities to push back against management's proposals. Workers signed hundreds of large poster-sized petitions and organized marches on the boss to deliver those petitions directly to management.

As member participation increased and solidarity became visible throughout the bargaining process, employers ultimately withdrew their demands and agreed to a contract that met the union's core objectives.

The new agreement maintains parity with the New York League hospital contract and includes:

•    4 percent annual wage increases
•    Protection of members' industry-leading benefits
•    Creation of an immigration legal defense fund for nursing home members
•    Preservation of union standards and nursing home jobs

Union leaders noted that maintaining parity with the League contract helps protect nursing home workers from falling behind other healthcare workers in wages and benefits.

A First Bargaining Experience

Simone Thomas-Linton, a CNA at White Plains Center and a first-time bargaining committee member, described the experience as transformative.

“It was exciting. It was enlightening and eye-opening.”
“Going into negotiations for the first time, I did not fully understand what it would entail.”
“We had to stand our ground and fight for what we believe in.”
“What I learned is that a union contract is never given. It is fought for and won by us, the members.”

For Thomas-Linton, the bargaining process demonstrated the importance of member involvement and collective action in securing improvements for workers and protecting quality care for residents.

“Our residents need dedicated, permanent staff to care for them. After all, this is their home, and we are their family.”
— Mary Samaroo, LPN at Queens Nassau Nursing and Rehab

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