More than 3,000 nursing home workers across Oregon are operating under expired contracts as of Oct. 1.
Workers at Meadow Park Care in St. Helens were first to authorize a strike, with 98% in support. Other nursing and assisted living facilities represented by SEIU Local 503 may follow suit this month. Staffing issues are a key topic in contract negotiations, as well as pay and safety concerns.
“Our residents deserve to live their lives with dignity, and if there are not enough of us to answer call lights when a resident needs us right away, that could be the difference between waiting too long to get help to go to the bathroom and soiling themself,” Meadow Park certified nursing assistant (CNA) Melissa Williams said. Williams was one of several workers who spoke at a union press conference Oct. 1.
“We will strike if needed to protect our residents’ safety and let management know we are serious about settling this contract,” said Meadow Park CNA Jessica Dupuis.
Meadow Park is the only nursing facility in St. Helens and typically has around 45 residents. No strike date has been set, but the 46 CNAs, CMAs, and kitchen and housekeeping workers there may go on strike as soon as the end of the month after giving a legally mandated 10 days notice.
Workers at other facilities may take action in the next month as their wages — which typically increase on Oct. 1 under their union contracts — don’t increase, SEIU Local 503 executive director Melissa Unger said. Starting wages for CNAs at the facilities are as low as $21 per hour.
Local 503 represents nursing home workers now working without contracts at more than 50 facilities in Oregon, including 20 Avamere facilities; 17 Prestige Care locations; multiple Avalon, Sapphire, and EmpRes locations; and Meadow Park.
“It’s getting harder to afford everyday expenses on these wages,” said Tony Cortes, who works at Sapphire Nursing Home in Portland.
