FALL RIVER – Caregivers at Crawford Health and Rehab, represented by the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England, began a three-day strike starting Dec. 7 in protest of alleged unfair labor practices.
Workers have been negotiating for months to improve the quality of care for residents and win living wages for caregivers, said Emmauel Falck, spokesman for District 1199 SEIU New England.
“Management has spent that time violating the law and committing unfair labor practices,” Falck said in a statement.
Among the issues the union has been attempting to address is an improvement of what he referred to as “poverty wages,” in which several workers earn less than $12 per hour.
The union has filed four unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming Crawford Health:
- Interfered with, restrained and coerced employees in the exercise of their rights by interrogating employees about their union activities.
- Suspended an employee twice because the person supported union activities, and because the employee discusses wages, hours and employment terms with her co-workers.
- Failed and refused to bargain in good faith by making unilateral changes in terms and employment conditions by increasing start rates without following the contract and taking some employees out of the bargaining unit.
“We are going on an Unfair Labor Practice Strike because management should be bargaining in good faith instead of breaking labor laws. It’s time to treat caregivers at Crawford with dignity and respect, and pay fair wages so residents get the safe staffing and consistent quality care they deserve,” said Anna Almeida, a certified nursing assistant who works at the nursing home.
Falck said low wages cause high staff turnover and inconsistent care for residents, as wages increase rapidly in other jobs in the area. He noted the job market is changing in Fall River. Amazon.com Inc., which operates a large warehouse in the city, announced this year it will be paying a minimum wage of $15 per hour. Personal care attendants who care for the elderly in the Massachusetts PCA program moved to a $15-per-hour minimum starting rate in July, and the minimum wage in Massachusetts is going up to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, he said.
Caregivers were expected to picket until 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The unfair labor practice strike will end Monday morning.
A call to Crawford Health seeking comment was not returned.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
