Nursing home contract negotiations could soon take a major turn, with employees at 14 homes around Western New York planning a week-long strike starting Tuesday.
Among the top priorities during negotiations are improved wage scales and childcare options, which could boost retention, said Grace Bogdanove, area vice president for 1199SEIU Western New York Nursing Home Division.
“If they can't find daycare or childcare for their children, they might not be able to come to work five days a week," she said. "And so, people are having to choose between taking care of their kids at home and being able to let work a full-time job.”
That’s why the union has a childcare fund listed on contract talks with almost every employer, Bogdanove said. Under the childcare fund, employers would contribute 0.5% of payroll to help their respective employees cover daycare costs, reimbursing employees quarterly depending on their income and number of children, she said.
Some changes are more feasible than others, but the impact won’t be felt equally by all employers, Schofield Care President Christopher Koenig said.
Schofield has more limited revenue options than many other nursing homes since it's a nonprofit. It's already operating at a loss, so the pay increases would be detrimental to Schofield as proposed, he said.
“When they make an ask, that's seven figures more than where we've even close to budgeted," he said. "What were you looking at? It's how close we can get to the deal, and then, where's our ‘no point,’ and a ‘no point’ means, ‘We can't. If you have to strike, so be it.’ But if we get past this point, the facility’s at risk, and there's nothing else we can do about it.”
1199SEIU has reached deals with two of the 27 nursing homes in negotiations. Employees at another 14 are planning to strike from May 20 to 27, and the remaining 11 homes are in negotiations but will not have strikes at their locations.
It's not just the nurses who are in need of new contracts. The union represents nursing home workers serving almost every role, from kitchen staff to custodians and laundry staff, Bogdanove said.
"They're all under one contract, and one of the biggest fights is ensuring that entry-level, starting rate for service workers is competitive," she said. "Right now, the reality is a lot of these employers are only offering minimum wage."
In addition to the strikes, 1199SEIU has filed lawsuits alleging unfair labor practices by multiple nursing home companies, including suits against Elderwood, RCA Healthcare Management, and Safire Care.
