Strike Victory After Two Months on the Picket Line at Sunrise Inc.

After two months on the picket line for decent wages, benefits and protections, group home and day program workers at Sunrise Northeast Inc won a contract. The tentative agreement has to be ratified by the membership.

The tentative agreement reached by New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU, includes improvements in health insurance, wages, pension and more.

“With this contract we have achieved historic wage increases, real affordable healthcare and a retirement with dignity. My coworkers and I look forward to getting back to our clients whom we love and miss.” said Charmayne Brown who has worked at Sunrise for 14 years.

Stephanie Deceus, Vice President, District 1199 said, “We see this agreement as an enormous step forward in the fight for economic and racial justice.”

The workers, overwhelmingly women of color, provide essential care but have struggled against poverty wages, unsafe conditions, and the historic devaluation of their labor for decades.

Courageously they went on strike in October for dignity, respect and a living wage, and won support of the labor movement, community and elected officials. When an offer was made that did not include pension, they refused to accept.

Sunrise operates 28 group home and day programs serving over 160 individuals in multiple locations across the state with 149 District 1199 New England union workers in Brooklyn, Columbia, Danielson, East Hartford, Glastonbury, Hartford, Hebron, Lebanon, Manchester, Mansfield, New London, New Milford, Old Lyme, Pomfret, Vernon, Waterford and Enfield.

Sunrise Northeast, Inc. joins a growing number of group home agencies represented by District 1199 that has reached agreements with workers in the past few months.  The Tentative Agreement establishes industry leading standards for wage increases, affordable healthcare and retirement. The tentative agreement is retroactive to July 1, 2021 and will expire in March of 2023.

The tentative agreement includes a reduction in monthly health insurance from $6,354 to $120. Workers will receive wage increases between 5% to 14%, plus a 9.5% automatic contribution rate to their 403b pension plan. Juneteenth will be added as a holiday. Workers mandated to stay beyond their regular shift will receive time and a half pay.