NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES, LABOR AND COMMINITY RALLY TO SUPPORT STRIKING SPECTRUM CAREGIVERS

[Photo above: Hundreds of 1199 nursing home srikers and supporters gathered at Park Place Health Center in Hartford today to demand a fair contract and an end to unfair labor practices.]
Click on photo for full screen.

In the second week of an unfair labor practice strike by almost 400 nursing home caregivers employed by Spectrum Healthcare, labor organizations, residents, eleted leaders and community supporters from all over the state demonstrated to support Spectrum nursing striking workers.

The strike began on Thursday, April 15 at 6 a.m. at Spectrum’s skilled nursing homes in Hartford , Derby , Ansonia and Winsted. Late on Thursday, April 22, attorneys for Spectrum confirmed a first date of May 3rd for a return to contract negotiations but only for one of the facilities, Laurel Hill in Winsted. Park Place in Hartford will resume contract talks on May 10th; Spectrum has not yet agreed to dates for the other two facilities.

The contracts for Park Place , Laurel Hill, Birmingham Health Center ( Derby ) and Hilltop Health Center ( Ansonia ) expired more than a year ago, on March 15, 2009. 33 other nursing homes in Connecticut where contracts expired on or after that date have since come to agreements, without strikes, with members of District 1199.

Some of the other labor groups on the picket line included: Greater Hartford Labor Council, CSEA/SEIU, Hartford Federation of Teachers, American Association of University Professors, Administrative and Residuals Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

1199 has begun a TV campaign focused on Spectrum's. Ads can be seen at:

http://www.seiu1199ne.org/.

ALSO, YOU CAN JOIN THE PICKET LINES ANYTIME FROM 6AM TO 12 MIDNIGHT.

The locations are:

BIRMINGHAM HEALTH CENTER -- 210 Chatfield St. -- Derby,

CTHILLTOP HEALTH CENTER - 126 Ford St. - Ansonia,

CTLAUREL HILL HEALTHCARE - 108 East Lake St. - Winsted,

CTPARK PLACE HEALTH CENTER - 5 Greenwood St. - Hartford, CT

Other photos of the demonstration:

Posted by: Tom Connolly