Stockton, CA – Workers from Stockton Nursing Center – members of SEIU 2015, the nation’s largest long-term care union and California’s largest labor union – are picketing dangerous working conditions, including high staff turnover and dangerously low staffing levels.
According to ProPublica’s Nursing Home Database, Stockton Nursing Center averages an annual staff turnover rate of 41.4%. Workers at the facility point to low wages and overwhelming workloads as a contributing factor to the chronic understaffing.
“It takes over $32 an hour for a family with three children to afford to survive in Stockton. I have four beautiful children and on average, my coworkers and I only make $17.63 an hour. It’s no surprise our facility can’t keep enough staff to make sure our residents are safe,” said Clara Isibido, a dietary aide at Stockton Nursing Center.
The facility is owned by Eduro Healthcare, which operates 41 facilities across 9 states, including Fresno Nursing Center, another facility represented by SEIU 2015.
Today’s picket is a joint action between the two facilities who have been in on-going contract negotiations as a single bargaining unit. Negotiations have dragged on for 356 days due to Eduro Healthcare operators’ refusal to engage in productive dialogue with SEIU 2015. Workers at both Eduro-owned facilities aim to bring the facilities’ operator back to the bargaining table to protect residents and workers alike.
“Understaffing nursing home facilities creates the conditions for residents to experience health risks and injuries. As more and more people age into the care industry, the staffing shortage in our nursing homes becomes more urgent. Our members know the only way to keep residents and staff safe is by paying nursing home workers a livable wage, ” said SEIU 2015 Executive Vice President, Kim Evon.
Participating SEIU members will be available on-site for interviews and can speak to today’s actions in addition to the breadth of member mobilization for better working conditions and resident safety in the long-term care industry.
To learn more about SEIU Local 2015 visit www.SEIU2015.org or on social media @SEIU2015.