Caregivers from Zenith Nursing Home in Lexington, MA unanimously voted to strike June 30th at a picket outside of the facility on Monday. The picket was organized by nursing home caregivers as a result of severely slashed wages, compromised working conditions, and a decline of patient care when Zenith Heathcare Group took over in early May.

Zenith Healthcare Group continues to draw fire for their slash and burn takeover of a local nursing home facility where seniors and workers have been reeling from the brutal cuts inflicted on the facility.

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Caregivers have been speaking out against the cuts, including during a statewide “Low Wage Worker Day of Action” last Thursday. C

aregivers say they do not want to strike, but they warn that the cuts implemented by Zenith pose a threat not just to workers but also the elderly residents of the nursing home.

Despite repeated attempts at dialogue with the company, Zenith executives have continued to snub workers, community groups, and elected leaders – all of whom have called for a restoral of wages and benefits for caregivers in the wake of the 40%-60% pay cuts implemented by the New York firm. Beyond the wage cuts that are driving caregivers deeper into poverty, Zenith hiked the cost of family health insurance to $18,000 per year for low-wage employees while implementing time-off cuts meaning some staff will lose up to 17 days off per year.

Hermith Vincent has been a full-time CNA at Zenith Nursing Home for 25 years and participated in the picket on Monday. “I have a family to support, and now I have to borrow money. I went from making $20.90 an hour to $11.00. I have nothing. Everyone here is very angry,” he said.

Meanwhile, caregivers have legislation pending at the State House that has been approved by the Senate and is currently conference committee which would create a public hearing process in the event of nursing home purchases and sales, including transactions involving out-of-state entities like Zenith.

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Marie Jean, a Certified Nurse Assistant at Zenith Nursing Home said, “I have been working here forty hours aweek since 2006, and suddenly my pay is down to $11.50 an hour from $17.50. Zenith cut insurance and put me on COBRA, but went further and removed $500 from my paycheck to pay for it. Then Michelle, the administrator, said there was nothing she could do. I have three children, including a daughter in college, and a mortgage to pay. We had sick days before. Now they’ve changed everything, and made the pay for all CNAs $11.50. And now they’re going around confusing patients and closing parts of the facility and moving people around. I’m here for the patients too, and their families support us. I’ll continue fighting.”

Dickens Deshommes has been a dietary aide for four years at Zenith Nursing Home. His pay was just cut from $11.50 an hour to $8.00. He said, “It’s bad. I have three children and we’re having to borrow money from my brother and sister to pay for things. This is ridiculous.”

Elaine Anderson, an LPN at Zenith Nursing Home, has worked the night shift for a year. Her hourly pay was drastically cut by 33%. “People were misinformed by Zenith. They’ve been taking money out of people’s checks for insurance. They’ve taken out 240 a month for me. I can’t imagine how much they’re removing for health insurance for people with families.” Additionally, patient care is suffering. Elaine continued, “Patients are confused, and have been moved around, some four to a room. More than one family has already removed their loved one from the facility. We want our wages restored, and everything to go back to the way it was before May.”

Lizy Philipoe has been a full-time CNA at Zenith Nursing Home for 24 years. She said, “I can’t believe this. My pay went from $23.00 an hour to $11.50, but I still do my job. I have a family that I have to support and a son in college. We have bills and a mortgage. They’re ruining our lives, and also affecting the care of the patients. It’s not right.”

- See more at: http://www.1199seiu.org/in_response_to_slashed_wages_and_compromised_patient_care_caregivers_at_zenith_nursing_home_in_lexington_vote_to_strike#sthash.Xp0PA0bk.dpuf