Hundreds of Bay Area health care
workers stage two-day strike

By Clifford L. Williams

The sick and elderly at Bay Area nursing homes were left without their primary caregivers last week when hundreds of health care workers staged a two-day strike against the nursing homes’ parent company, Windsor Healthcare Management.

    Workers say that in ongoing contract negotiations, Windsor — a statewide, multi-milliondollar nursing home chain — has refused to discuss major issues affecting the delivery of patient care to hundreds of residents in local nursing homes.
    The strike was coordinated to occur simultaneously at four nursing homes in Fremont, Concord and Hayward and at four nursing homes in Salinas and Monterey. All of the facilities are owned and operated by Windsor.
    In response to the strike, management locked nearly 600 caregivers out of six Windsor facilities Friday morning. By Saturday, most workers had returned to work.
    Health care providers are now waiting to return to the bargaining table, and no future negotiation dates have been set.
    “We gave Windsor every opportunity to avoid a strike, but management refuses to discuss serious issues affecting the care and treatment of our residents,” said Eleanor Smithey, a certified nursing assistant at Windsor Ridge Care & Rehabilitation Center in Salinas. “As caregivers, we want an official voice in the delivery of patient care, so that we can act as workplace advocates and help ensure the best possible care for the most vulnerable members of our community.”
    Since March 2007, more than 500 violations of health and safety regulations were documented at Windsor’s 28 facilities during regular federal surveys. This is almost twice the national average. Last year, 58 patient complaints against Windsor were verified by the Department of Health and Human Services on issues ranging from short-staffing to fire hazards.
    To address these conditions, more than 700 nursing home workers — represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West — have been in contract negotiations with Windsor for more than a year in four facilities and several months at four others.
    Workers say they have made numerous suggestions to help improve resident care by reducing staff turnover and increasing staffing levels, but Windsor has not adopted these proposals.
   “Windsor must prioritize the needs of our residents, who are some of the most vulnerable members of the community,” said Stella Armour, a registered nursing assistant at Windsor Park Care Center in Fremont. “We are eager to return to contract negotiations, but Windsor is not bargaining in good faith, and refuses to guarantee frontline caregivers an official voice in the delivery of patient care.”
    For more information, contact Blinker Wood at bwood@seiuuhw.org.