CHICAGO At 6AM Thursday thousands of nursing home workers will walk off the job at more than a dozen nursing homes across Chicagoland. It is the first wave of a strike that will swell to 5,000 nursing home workers across more than 50 facilities in Illinois by Saturday, making it the largest nursing home strike in U.S. history.
See next day's update at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Strike-averted-as-nursing-home-workers-owners-reach-tentative-agreement-/59040.html .
The workers, who have been without a contract for over a year, are calling for fair wages, staffing levels that ensure quality care for residents, and dignity on the job regardless of immigration status. As national attention on the shortage of quality care for the aging U.S. population grows, workers are drawing attention to the need to improve the quality of jobs in the long-term care sector.
Dozens of unfair labor practice ( ULP ) complaints have been filed against the nursing homes for refusing to provide information legally required for good faith bargaining and other federal violations.
WHO: Nursing home workers striking for fair pay and quality care, supported by elected officials, community leaders and resident families
WHAT: The first day of a multi-day strike, building to the largest nursing home strike in U.S. historywith over 5,000 workers striking at over 50 different facilities. The strike starts with 15 nursing homes on Thursday and will build to 53 homes by Saturday.
WHEN and WHERE:
6 a.m. Woodbridge Nursing Home, 2242 N Kedzie
Workers will be joined by: Rep. Will Guzzardi, Ald. Ameya Pawar, Gubernatorial Candidate JB Pritzker
Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia
5PM Symphony Bronzeville & Kensington Place, 3405 S Michigan Ave.
Workers will be joined by: Rep. Chris Welch
10PM Winston Manor, 5130 W Jackson Blvd.
Candlelight vigil by workers will be joined by: Ald. Chris Taliaferro
Despite receiving about $1 billion in revenue each year and an increasing number of residents, the for-profit nursing home owners of the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities have refused to significantly raise staffing levels and have actively worked to keep wages low, including demanding the right to pay their workers less than the minimum wages required by Chicago and Cook County. Illinois nursing home owners have come under heightened scrutiny for improper patient discharges and inadequate staffing care.