The nursing home industry nationwide has lost more than 238,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic. That’s why we’ve worked to create the Skilled Nursing Quality Standards Board and why we’re taking action today up and down the state.
Covid-19 has hit nursing home workers and residents hard. It’s time to put essential care workers’ and their residents’ safety first. Members of SEIU 2015 mobilized across the entire state in a series of actions on March 28th in support of Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Standards Board (Sen. Stern, Asm. Santiago) to address the industry’s “Great Resignation” crisis and dangerously low staffing levels to ensure quality care.
SACRAMENTO…
Politico California Pro: Nursing Home reform in California
Before, and especially during, the pandemic, nursing homes have been hotspots of trouble for residents, staff and policymakers.
Legislators will announce a budget proposal today to create a nursing home standards board to address the problems that put vulnerable Californians at risk even before the Covid-19 pandemic, POLITICO’s Victoria Colliver reports.
The proposed Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Standards Board, to be introduced by Sen. Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), would establish industry-wide wage standards for nursing home staff, set staffing levels, strengthen benefits for workers and enforce training requirements. The 16-member board would be made up of people representing workers, residents, employers and state agencies.
Both the staff and residents at California’s nursing homes were hard hit by the pandemic. Over the past two year, more 16,000 workers or about 10 percent of the nursing home workforce have left the profession, and about half of those who remain say they are likely to leave soon, according to Service Employees International Union Local 2015, which is sponsoring the proposal.
“In order to truly transform the nursing home industry for the better, we need to implement changes that make jobs in the long-term care industry more attractive, safer, and sustainable,” said April Verrett, president SEIU 2015, which is the country’s largest long-term care union and represents more than 400,000 nursing home workers and home care providers in California.
ABC News: Vigil to remember nursing home deaths
The Sacramento Bee: Do nursing homes need oversight?
SEIU Local 2015, which represents more than 400,000 nursing home workers and home care providers, has released a proposal to create a “Quality Standards Board” to oversee California’s nursing home industry. The board would establish a number of standards for the nursing home industry, according to a statement from the union. Read more here at The Sacramento Bee.
CBS 13 Sacramento: California nursing home staffers call for higher pay, more benefits and safer staffing levels
Local SEIU 2015, the union that represents hundreds of thousands of California long-term care workers, said enough is enough. They’re calling on the legislature to act now before more staff members quit their jobs, referring to it as “the great resignation.” They want to use the state surplus budget to create a standards board. That board would establish a better minimum wage and better benefits like health care. Read the full article here.
Univision 19: Protesta de Trabajadores de Centros de Cuidado de Edad Avanzada
Cal Matters: California’s economy is recovering. Are workers?
On the surface, California’s economic recovery from the pandemic is looking rosier and rosier — but underneath, worker discontent is brewing. It follows a February poll from SEIU Local 2015 — which represents California long-term care employees — that found half of nursing home workers are likely to leave their current position in the next year. A whopping 86% cited staffing levels and wages as their top concerns.
Today, nursing home workers are scheduled to hold events across the state — including a vigil at the Capitol — to honor California’s nearly 10,000 nursing home residents and employees lost to COVID-19. And, alongside Democratic lawmakers, they’re set to unveil a proposal to create a Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Standards Board that would allow workers to help set statewide staffing and wage standards.
Read the full article here.
ABC Sacramento: Healthcare workers remembered
ABC 10: California nursing home staffers call for higher pay, more benefits and safer staffing levels
Local SEIU 2015, the union that represents hundreds of thousands of California long-term care workers, said enough is enough. They’re calling on the legislature to act now before more staff members quit their jobs, referring to it as “the great resignation.” Read full article here.
My58 Sacramento: Nursing Home COVID Vigil
Workers gathered both inside and outside of the facility to advocate for safe staffing. They are joining together to fight for increased wages and an end to skyrocketing staff turnover and unsafe staffing levels.
SAN FRANCISCO…
Fox News: California nursing home workers plan a demonstration on March 28, 2022
KRON-SF MyTV San Francisco: Baypoint Nursing Home Protest
KTVU-SF: Nursing Home Workers Prepare to strike
KERN COUNTY…
ABC News: Nursing home workers protest at long-term care facilities across California
CENTRAL COAST…
Fox Monterrey: Nursing home workers prepare to strike over poor working conditions, low wages, and unsafe staffing levels.
Watch video coverage from KTVU San Francisco.
KCBA Fox Monterey: California Nursing Home Workers to Protest
Bakersfield…
ABC Bakersfield: Nursing home workers in Bakersfield mobilize to protest poor working conditions.
View coverage of the event in Bakersfield by KERO BFL ABC.
ABC Bakersfield: Nursing home workers protest poor conditions
Monday nursing home workers and members of the Service Employees International Union protested at long-term care facilities across the state to bring attention to the challenges the nursing home industry is facing.
SEIU Local 2015 Statewide Event Video and Photographic Coverage
Statewide Action photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/seiu2015/albums/72177720297719602