Coronavirus Illinois: Thousands of nursing home workers set strike date for May 8

Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Thousands of Illinois nursing home workers set strike date
Thousands of nursing home workers in Illinois who are concerned about their safety on the job say they will go on strike on May 8.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thousands of nursing home workers in Illinois who are concerned about their safety on the job say they will go on strike on May 8.

Nursing homes have been a glaring hotspot for COVID-19 outbreaks around the state. Now 4,000 employees who staff them around the clock say they're ready to walk out.

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A handful of nursing home workers protested Monday outside the Alden Wentworth long-term care facility. They're ready to strike for higher wages, hazard pay, more access to PPE and not to be treated punitively if they get sick. Most of these people on the frontlines of the COVID-19 make between minimum wage and $14 per hour.

"They're the ones that make the food, wash the clothes, clean their rooms, help them get out of bed, take showers, and even eat," said Shaba Andrich, SEIU.

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LaTonya Grays has worked at the facility for several years. She said inadequate PPE is putting her family at risk - and a demand for time and half for hazard pay is not unreasonable.

"We are deserving for $10 an hour for hazard pay, not more for some and less for others," Grays said.

Tanika Sommerville is a certified nursing assistant with 20 years' experience. She says she was fired recently for voicing too many concerns about her work conditions.

"I got fired for asking for - over and over again - for the proper PPE gear, an open line of communication which requires the truth, more staffing because we were short-staffed, and hazards pay," Sommerville said.

The SEIU-represented workers set to strike comprise employees at 40 long-term facilities across Illinois. But the union says there are at least 100 facilities with similar workplace concerns.

Under COVID-19 guidelines put out by the Illinois Department of Public Health, nursing home employers are told to be: "non-punitive" with sick staff, offer temperature checks at the beginning and mid-shift, ensure PPE and decrease staff rotation for those dealing with sick patients.

The workers said they are dedicated to their patients, but they need to take care of themselves as well.

The Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities responded to the strike threat in a written statement: "It is extremely troubling that SEIU union leadership would ask frontline nursing home employees to abandon elderly and infirm residents during a pandemic and our residents' greatest hour of need. A substantial 11% pay raise will bring the vast majority of our union workers above $15 an hour, but SEIU instead wants to use a crisis as a negotiating tactic. Directing our heroic nursing assistants, dietary, activity, laundry and housekeeping employees to walk out now is unthinkable, and IAHCF urges the union to come to the table and negotiate in good faith."

The SEIU said the soonest workers would walk out would be May 8, a week from Friday. The union represents employees at 40 nursing homes, but said they have complaints about at least 100 facilities.

The SEIU said strike notices for May 8th were delivered at the following nursing homes:

Alden Debes Manor

550 S MULFORD AVE

Rockford

Alden Lakeland

820 W LAWRENCE

Chicago

Alden Princeton

255 W 69 ST

Chicago

Alden-Des Plaines

1221 E GOLF RD

Des Plaines

Alden-Estates of Barrington

1420 S BARRINGTON RD

Barrington

Alden-Lincoln Park

504 W WELLINGTON AVE

Chicago

Alden-Town Manor

6120 W Ogden

Cicero

Alden-Village North

7464 N SHERIDAN RD

Chicago

Alden-Waterford

2021 RANDI DR

Aurora

Alden-Wentworth

201 W 69 ST

Chicago

Aperion Care Capitol

555 W CARPENTER RD

Springfield

Aperion Care Dolton

14325 S BLACKSTONE

Dolton

Aperion Care Galesburg

1145 FRANK ST

Galesburg

Aperion Care Highwood

50 PLEASANT AVE

Highwood

Aperion Care Jacksonville

1021 N CHURCH ST

Jacksonville

Aperion Care Midlothian

3249 W 147 ST

Midlothian

Aperion West Ridge/ Ridgeview

6450 N RIDGE BLVD

Chicago

Astoria

6300 N CALIFORNIA AVE

Chicago

Austin Oasis

901 S AUSTIN BLVD

Chicago

Avantara Evergreen Park

10124 S KEDZIE

Evergreen Park

Balmoral

2055 W BALMORAL AVE

Chicago

Berkeley

6909 W NORTH AVE

Oak Park

Bridgeview Healthcare Center

8100 S HARLEM AVE

Bridgeview

Carlton At The Lake

725 W MONTROSE AVE

Chicago

Chalet Living & Rehab

7350 N SHERIDAN RD

Chicago

Elevate Care Irving Park

4340 N KEYSTONE AVE

Chicago

Hickory Nursing Pavilion

9246 S ROBERTS RD

Hickory Hills

Lake Front Healthcare Center

7618 N SHERIDAN RD

Chicago

Mayfield Care Center

5905 W WASHINGTON

Chicago

Oak Park Oasis

625 N Harlem Ave

Oak Park

Rainbow Beach Nursing Center

7325 S EXCHANGE

Chicago

Sheridan Shores

5838 N SHERIDAN RD

Chicago

Sterling Pavilion

105 E 23rd St

Sterling

Symphony at Aria

4600 N FRONTAGE RD

Hillside

Symphony at Chicago West

5130 W Jackson Blvd

Chicago

Symphony at Midway

4437 S Cicero Ave

Chicago

Symphony at Morgan Park

10935 S Halsted St

Chicago

The Villa at Windsor Park Nursing

2649 E 75th St

Chicago

Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion

515 N Main St,

Sandwich

Winston Manor

2155 W PIERCE

Chicago

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