NEWS ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDSAY, AUGUST 16, 2023
Contact: Mindy Berman mindyb@1199.org, 518-229-0468

WHEN: Wednesday, August 16, 3:30-5 p.m.

WHERE: NYS Department of Health, 320 Carlton Ave, Central Islip

WHO:  Nursing home workers, members of 1199SEIU, who work as certified nursing assistants, nurses, housekeepers, dietary aides, recreation aides, and other titles, with their supporters.

BACKGROUND: 443 caregivers at Cold Spring Hills Nursing Home ended an 11-day picket on Monday, August 14.  At this point, their employer has still not made the contractually agreed payments to the workers’ health benefit fund, which means they will lose their health insurance on August 25.  The loss of health care would spell disaster for workers and their families at a time New York is already facing a severe caregiver shortage. In addition to the picket, the employer has received numerous warnings of this looming issue, but has still not taken appropriate action.

VIGIL AT DOH: Since Cold Spring Hills is unwilling to honor its commitments to the employees, they are urging New York State to immediately step in and find a new operator who will preserve job standards at the facility and safeguard continuity of care for residents.

AT A GLANCE

• Workers at Cold Spring Hills just completed 11 days of consecutive picketing at the nursing home, because they will lose their healthcare benefits on August 25 after management failed, for months, to make the required payments to the workers’ health benefit fund. 1199SEIU members are holding a vigil in front of the NYS Department of Health in Central Islip, calling on the state to urgently use its power to appoint a temporary receiver to safeguard resident care and protect workers’ jobs and health care.

• Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Cold Spring Hills in December of last year, alleging that the owners “diverted over $22.6 million in Medicaid and Medicare funds from resident care through a fraudulent network of companies that were used to conceal up-front profit taking.”

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New York and nationwide. We represent over 450,000 total members throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.