ARREST ON THE PICKET LINE

[Photo above: Carmen E. Boudier, President of District 1199 union, is being arrested by Hartford police for blocking the entrance of Park Place Health Center in Hartford, CT.] Click on photo for full screen.

About 30 labor, community, elected officials and clergy members were arrested by Hartford police today for blocking the entrance of Park Place Health Center in Hartford to support the District 1199 Spectrum strikers. Hundreds of other strikers and supporters attended the rally. In a statement by those that where arrested noted in part:

"We are here today as a witness for justice. For almost seven weeks, these nursing home workers at Part Place Health Center have been walking the picket line for a fair contract, for dignity, and for respect. The nurses, nurses' aids, dietary, housekeeping, and laundry workers at this facility have overwhelmingly voted to make sacrifices now in order to protect, in the long term, those hard-won gains their families count on. These workers have joined nearly 300 other Spectrum workers in the same fight from Derby, Ansonia and Winsted nursing homes owned by Spectrum.

Thirty-six other 1199 nursing homes throughout the state have already settled labor contracts without a strikes....

Dr. King provides an exemplary model for our action here today. He not only fought for civil rights, he walked picket lines for labor rights as well. He said that 'It may well be that the greatest tragedy...is the silence of the so-called good people.' Justice demands that these workers' stories be told, and that we publicly join our voices to support them."

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Call the Spectrum Healthcare owners now and tell them to settle this strike immediately for the sake of the residents, the workers and our communities. Their names and phone numbers are:

Brian Dickstein-- 860-871-5454, ext 11 (office)
Home: 860-648-1300
Howard Dickstein - 860-871-5454 ext 13 (office)
Home: 860-272-2981
Sean Murphy - 860-871-5454 ext 12 (office) -- Home: 860-758-7996

JOIN THE PICKET LINES ANYTIME BETWEEN 6 AM AND 12 MIDNIGHT

Birmingham Health Center, 210 Chatfield Street, Derby , CT
Hilltop Health Center, 126 Ford Street, Ansonia
Laurel Hill Healthcare, 106 East Lake Street, Winsted
Park Place Health Center, 5 Greenwood Street, Hartford

SEND A DONATION:

Send a donation to: The 1199 Strike and Defense Fund. Checks should be sent to: District 1199, 77 Huyshope Avenue , Hartford , CT 06106. The union has been on strike since April 15, 2010.

Other Photos of the Action:

Posted by Tom Connolly