More than 2,500 workers at 20 Connecticut nursing homes ”“ including nurses, certified nursing assistants, dietary workers and housekeepers ”“ could go on strike May 1 if they do not receive higher wages and adequate staffing.
According to Service Employees International Union 1199 New England leadership, wages for nursing home workers have remained stagnant, with a 2% increase since 2015. The proposed 2019-20 state budget bill does not include funding for such wages, “which means certified nurse assistants will be limited to a total increase of 25 to 30 cents over five years, while the cost of living in Connecticut continues to rise significantly,” the union said.
Caregivers are also facing lower staffing ratios at nursing homes, as well as residents who require higher levels of care.
Union members have already voted overwhelmingly 1,449-78 to authorize a strike if their demands are not met. Those demands include raises of 4 percent in 2019 and another 4 percent in 2020.
The potentially affected nursing homes are across the state, including in Autumn Lake Healthcare in Norwalk.
Meanwhile, the strike at Stop & Shop grocery stores enters its sixth day today.
