Caregivers avoided strikes to reach an agreement, while 21 other for-profit nursing homes remain without one

Upstate, NY – Hundreds of nursing home workers at four more area nursing homes voted to ratify 3-year labor contracts over the last week. Workers at Schofield Residence, Safire Rehabilitations of Northtowns, Williamsville Suburban Care Center, and Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Williamsville all voted to ratify new 3-year labor deals with their employers. Caregivers are represented by 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East. 

1199SEIU nursing home workers at Schofield Residence in Tonawanda overwhelmingly voted to ratify a 3-year labor contract in a near unanimous vote last week. Both union members and management came to a tentative agreement just hours before workers planned to strike for one-week last month. 

“We are grateful we could settle before we had to strike. We are glad they were willing to have an open conversation in order to come to an agreement that both sides were happy with,” said Catherine Wills, Physical Therapy Assistant at Schofield Residence.

Schofield Residence met the area wage standard set by other 1199SEIU nursing homes this year, with caregivers winning wage increases of 12-20% throughout the three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement.  The newly revised 10 step wage scale provides wage increases based on years of service, with additional raises for employees with more than 10 years of service to Schofield.

Newly hired employees will be assigned to appropriate wage steps based on their years of experience. This approach enables Schofield to effectively compete in recruiting and retaining experienced workers to provide care for residents.

The new agreement offers increased shift differentials and weekend differentials, plus preceptor pay for training new employees.

Caregivers also won improvements to employer provided pension contributions and health insurance premiums, even for part-time workers.  In the third year of the new labor deal, workers will also receive 1199SEIU Childcare Fund benefits. 

Caregivers at Williamsville Suburban Care Center and Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns voted to ratify their deal late last week. The three-year agreement similarly includes wage increases of 14 to 24%, evening and weekend shift differentials, preceptor pay to train newly hired employees, experienced based pay, step increases, and newly added 1199SEIU Childcare Fund benefits. Service workers won significant increases in starting rates to help recruit and retain more workers. 

“It’s been a long time coming. I’m glad that we were able to get a fair contract without going on strike.  We were able to secure good wages and benefits for the next three years,” said Iris Purks, Unit Clerk at Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns.

Nursing home workers at Comprehensive at Williamsville finished voting on their agreement today, overwhelming voting to ratify the 3-year deal. The new deal includes: increases to shift differential, newly added weekend differential, preceptor pay to train newly hired employees, newly added wage scales which puts workers in a higher pay rate according to years of service, and employer provided increases to dental and optical benefits. 

Each of the four new labor agreements will run through April 30, 2028.

Union nursing home workers are part of an historic campaign that includes 27 different long-term care facilities in Erie, Niagara, Allegany, and Cattaraugus Counties.  All 21 facilities remaining in contract talks are for-profit.  Caregivers previously ratified deals at Schoellkopf Health Center^[1] in Niagara Falls and Ascension Living at Our Lady of Peace^[2] in Lewiston.  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.

Union members at these four facilities work as Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Activity Aides, Environmental Service Workers, Maintenance Workers, Dietary and Food Service Workers, Housekeeping & Laundry Workers, Clerical Workers, and Unit Clerks.

###

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

____________________

^[1] Nursing home workers at Schoellkopf Health Center approve 3-year labor contract | News 4 Buffalo
^[2] Lewiston nursing home workers reach tentative deal amid strikes | wgrz.com