WELLSVILLE - It’s been two years since LPN, CNA, housekeeping, maintenance and activity staff members voted to unionize at Highland Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Seneca Street in Wellsville. They still have no contract. They threatened a two-day strike if negotiations failed. Today, workers took to the picket line, marching and holding signs. A man with a megaphone shouted “what do you want?” The workers chanted “contract” and “we have the power.”
Note:
This information is from a worker at the facility that was submitted September
7, 2020
WELLSVILLE -
In July of 2018 workers from Highland Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
voted the SEIU 1199 Union (Service Employees International Union) into the
facility under a vote done by the LPN, CNA, housekeeping, maintenance and
activity staff members. Since that time a contract has not been reached by the
union and corporate office of Excelsior Care group. This resulted in a wage
freeze for those employees until December of 2019. Collective bargaining had been stalled by
corporate until a federal mediator had to be called in to force negotiations
into resuming. Negotiations further stalled with the current pandemic and
although they have resumed, union workers are still without a contract 25
months later.
Highland Park union employees are only asking for what is a fair and similar contact to our neighboring facility Wellsville Manor Care Center. The benefits and pay scale between the two facilities is stark, with the Manor, which holds the same union, having a considerable advantage.
What does this mean? Union workers have authorized a 2 day strike, via fair vote, to occur should the next round of negotiations fail. The Excelsior group has threatened to lock out employees and bus in workers from Long Island to take their place. They have already done this once, bussing in employees for four days and then sending them back.
Should the facility choose to permanently replace it's union workers, it will have a devastating effect on not only the local economy but also the residents who residing there. Imagine all the LPNs and CNAs and other staff replaced with strangers from other facilities or from nursing agencies that have little knowledge of resident history and personalized needs. None of the dedicated employees working at Highland want this to happen. Please reach out to the administrator Blake Apsokardu 585-593-3750 or call the Excelsior group at (718) 430-0003 if you have a loved one effected by this and would like to voice your opinion either way.
Hopefully the Excelsior group and the unionized workers can reach an agreement before the strike dates, which will only be for 2 days.
Sincerely,
A unionized worker from Highland Park
