Certified Nursing Assistants at a Miami Nursing Home Unite to Ratify a Strong Contract

November 8, 2019

Susanna Wesley Health Center 11-4-19.jpg 1 500 x 331.jpgCertified nursing assistants at Susanna Wesley Health Center, a 120-bed nursing home facility in Hialeah, have a lot to cheer about today. They have approved a new contract that includes significant gains. Among them, higher wages and additional paid time off for longtime employees.

“I am so thrilled that my coworkers united to approve this contract,” said Luz De La Cruz, who has worked as a CNA at the facility for 13 years. “This agreement will benefit all of us who work hard every day to provide the best care we can to residents at the facility.

Prior to this agreement, many of the CNAs earned between $9 and $10 per hour. Under the new three-year contract, the minimum wage has increased to $12 per hour. That’s about $4,000 more annually. In addition to the higher minimum wage, a 50-cent increase was recently added to their hourly pay.

“The higher pay is really appreciated,” said De La Cruz. “When you ‘re living on a tight budget, every penny counts.”

There are other reasons to be excited about this contract. Longtime employees who have worked at the facility at least 10 years will receive an extra five days of paid time off. With the holidays quickly approaching, that’s welcome news to caregivers looking to take some well-deserved time off to be with loved ones.

Despite skyrocketing healthcare costs, the bargaining team was also able to maintain health benefits for the more than 80 CNAs. In fact, there were no givebacks with this deal. Workers attribute this strong contract to unity and the strength of their bargaining team.