Striking CNA’s Back to Work
Posted by Patti on August 25th, 2008 / 
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This story really speaks to the problems CNA’s face when deciding to do this work for a career. A New York City nursing home owner went cheap, stopped paying it’s share of employee worker comp premiums and then stopped offering health insurance as a benefit. The worker comp portion of this is easy- it’s required by law. But not the other insurance. As a result, the aides went on strike back in February. It’s been a long haul for them.
After six months on strike, 220 workers at one of the largest nursing homes in the Bronx were feeling relieved, delighted but still somewhat angry when they began returning to work on Thursday morning.
The employees of the Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center returned to work largely because a federal judge issued an injunction last week ordering the nursing home to resume paying the workers’ health insurance premiums. The home’s decision to stop paying those premiums caused the workers to walk out on Feb. 20.
They pay us dirt wages, and expect us to be loyal? We can’t afford to work as CNA’s. My question on this: Do the workers, the aides and others, have insurance now or did their union agree to forgo it in return for jobs? I bet they still don’t have health insurance.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
From what I have heard, from aides who were part of this action, theuy do not have health insurance. They do have back their right to worker comp insurance- which is law.
So much for the unions helping.
August 30th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Patti I was reading the Boston Globe and this article might interest you, and Kim:
It’s about the new unions. That aren’t into rules and laws and workplace silliness- but prefer to include management in decisions and planning. It sounds much better than the old fashioned union. Kim I bet even you could get into this!
September 1st, 2008 at 7:50 am
SO these new unions won’t strike? Or threaten to do so? What bargaining tool do they have?
That’s what has always made unions so…important and threatening…now, according to this, unions are just a go between for management and floor staff and working together. I say with good management the union is still not needed.
Thanks Holly, I will further look into this.