Unionized nursing home workers have started negotiating new contracts with 27 nursing homes across Western New York, including five in Niagara County.
The nearly 4,000 workers in Niagara, Erie, Allegany, and Cattaraugus counties are represented by United Healthcare Workers East, the largest healthcare workers union in the country. They workers range from registered nurses, dietitians and occupational therapists to housekeepers, clerks and food service workers.
The contracts covering the majority of nursing home workers will expire on April 30. The first negotiating session was on Feb. 24 and the union has received its first and second counterproposals from employers.
“Empowering thousands of nursing home members to negotiate a standard set of wages and benefits across upstate is unprecedented,” said Grace Bogdanove, the union’s vice-president for WNY Nursing Homes. “These negotiations are intentionally aligned with the New York state budget. Our campaign will highlight the dire need for Medicaid equity to keep our nursing homes adequately staffed with experienced long-term caregivers in our upstate communities.”
The Niagara County facilities involved include:
• Elderwood at Lockport
• Newfane Rehabilitation & Health Center
• Schoellkopf Health Center within Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
• Northgate Health Care Facility in North Tonawanda
• Our Lady of Peace in Lewiston
The 27 nursing homes include 24 for-profit and three not-for profit institutions. 15 of them share common ownerships under companies like the RCA Group, Centers for Healthcare, Elderwood Group, McGuire Group, Personal Healthcare, and the Sherman family.
Aside from wage increases and improved health benefits, Bognadove said some of the other demands included pension increases, employers paying for new employee training, a child care fund for employees to cover child care costs, and shift differential pay.
The last round of contracts the nursing home workers agreed to were no more than three years ago, with union leaders looking for another three-year contract through April 30, 2028.
It is too early for Bognadove to say when a vote on the contract will happen, but she hopes to have an agreement by April 30 so the workers do not have to go on strike.