AP: Union hoping for $15 per hour wage for all nursing homes

[Omaha Steve]

By SUSAN HAIGH - Associated Press - Wednesday, November 11, 2015

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut’s largest union representing health care workers is optimistic a new, tentative agreement to pay certified nursing assistants at 20 nursing homes $15 an hour will become standard throughout the state and nation.

The tentative agreement announced Tuesday evening would cover 2,600 workers at Connecticut nursing homes owned by iCare and Genesis. It still needs to be ratified by workers over the next couple weeks, but it ends the potential threat of a strike at these homes. The union is still negotiating on behalf of workers at seven Paradigm Healthcare facilities.

“We’re hoping the momentum continues into other homes and into other professions, even home care workers and child care and people who are really struggling with these low wages,” Jennifer Schneider, communications director for SEIU 1199, New England, said Wednesday.

Labor, state legislators and nursing home operators in Connecticut have agreed that nursing home workers should receive higher pay. The new state budget included an additional $26 million, partly state and federal funds, that the Department of Social Services will distribute to homes to help reimburse wage increases for eligible direct and indirect care workers. An additional $9.6 million has also been authorized for increases to certain employee benefits, according to DSS.

FULL story at link.