With a new contract in hand, a threatened strike by nursing home workers in Connecticut has been called off for a second time.
Details of the contract were not immediately available, but presumably include the hikes proposed earlier this month by Gov. Ned Lamont”™s administration. That proposal offered nursing homes that serve Medicaid patients a 2% rate wage increase in July 2019, a 1% bump in October 2020 and a 1% raise in January 2021. Not included in Lamont”™s original budget, the funds would be in addition to a scheduled 2% raise in November.
Originally the workers threatened a May 1 strike to protest not having received an increase in their salaries in 2016 and 2017; that was called off when Lamont”™s administration indicated it was willing to negotiate. Deciding that sufficient progress wasn”™t being made, the workers then set a June 3 strike deadline.
“This is a major victory for our union members who are truly deserving of these wage raises and improved benefits,” Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199 New England, said in a press release. “We feel proud of this achievement, and we are confident that we”™ll be able to settle all pending contracts for our members in the near future.”