Statement of Milly Silva, Executive Vice President, on Supreme Court DAPA/DACA decision

BUFFALO, NY — Faith leaders, home care workers, Senator Tim Kennedy and home care workers and advocates will gather on Wednesday to urge state lawmakers to provide fair wages for home care workers. The press conference comes as New York currently faces the worst home care shortage in the nation, and low wages are the single largest driving factor.

ROCHESTER, NY — Assemblymember Sarah Clark will tomorrow join home care advocates and Rochester resident Flip Polizzi Rivera to call for an end to New York’s worst home care shortage in the nation. Polizzi, who currently resides in a nursing home, cannot move into the house he purchased for himself because he cannot find home care workers due to the shortage. Press conference attendees will include Rochester home care consumers, workers, and advocates calling for an end to the home care shortage by passing the Fair Pay for Home Care Act. Research has shown low wages are the single largest driving factor creating the shortage.

Healthcare workers (members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East,) elected officials and concerned citizens say that Westchester Medical Center must step up and provide the care and services that the residents of Kingston and surrounding communities need.

Lewiston, NY – Dozens of workers marched and chanted “Fair Contract Now” in front of Ascension Living at Our Lady of Peace in Lewiston yesterday. More than 150 Nursing home workers at Our Lady of Peace have been working without a union contract since December 31, 2021 when their 16- month contract expired. Caregivers are represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have been negotiating with Ascension Living since early November last year. Yesterday, workers wanted to inform the public of their staffing crisis and unit closures brought on by a lack of competitive wages.

Local Caregivers Say Ascension Living Closed Three Units and Threatens Lay-Offs Amid Staffing Crisis Exacerbated By Low Wages

“It’s outrageous that legislators in Tallahassee are allowing the nursing home industry to make Florida unsafe for seniors with advancing bills such as HB 1239 and SB 804 that make more drastic and dangerous cuts to minimum care standards.

Bronx-based Centers Health Care is refusing sufficient wages for nursing home workers who are STILL risking their health and safety while caring for the frail and elderly during the worse pandemic in recent history; most have not received a raise since 2018.

Thank you for the opportunity to deliver this testimony regarding the proposed health budget on behalf of the 300,000 New York State members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

MIAMI - A new investigative report on America’s largest for-profit hospital corporation, HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA), suggests the company may be engaging in widespread Medicare admissions fraud that may have cost taxpayers billions of dollars even before the COVID-19 public healthcare emergency began.

Want to know what's going on around the around MD/DC region? The 2022 1199SEIU Maryland DC Regional Newsletter Archive web page can help. Stay up to date with past and present contract victories, member features, events, and much more.