LTC Industry Low Wage Help
Posted by Heather on April 21st, 2009 / 
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Direct care workers- CNA’s and others- have been pushing for better pay, better benefits and working conditions for YEARS now. Direct care worker advocates have also been speaking LOUD on our behalf. We’ve barely made any progress, and many of us hope that the new President will lift us out of the world of low pay, disrespected work…the prospect of the Employee Free Choice Act passing into law will help elevate these dreams.
The LTC industry is getting excited about this as well, but for a more sinister reason.
From McKnights LTC News:
A major development is afoot in the labor movement, and it could have interesting implications for long-term care.
I’m talking about American unions’ recent plans to unify. In case you haven’t heard, the leaders of the two major federations and the nation’s 12 largest unions have formed the National Labor Coordinating Committee. The interim body will help form the federation.
Naturally, the thought of one massive union, 16 million members strong, is enough to send shivers down a long-term care employer’s spine. But let’s think about this a minute.
Clearly, a single union could have an impact on unionization. This is the year of the card check, and if the Employee Free Choice Act passes, nursing homes could be facing a serious increase in union activity.
Sounds good huh? Never trust the LTC industry to do the right thing for YOU.
But there also may be at least one area in which nursing homes can benefit from a unified labor front. That is immigration reform. The AFL-CIO and Change to Win federations recently said they are joining forces to support the effort. That includes a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.
Why worry about immigration reform, in the broader picture here?
Read on:
The American Health Care Association, the largest association of nursing homes, if you will remember, was in favor of a guest worker program that would provide a temporary workforce of skilled and unskilled workers for employers in the future. Given the industry’s reliance on low-wage help, that is not surprising.
Read that last sentence. LOW WAGE HELP. The thinking here is simple: Bring in as many immigrants as possible, allow them to fill our shoes, at lower rates of pay…supported by the Unions of course…And read between the lines: Unskilled workers = low wages is NOT GOOD FOR US. These efforts will drive down our rates of pay. Why would any facility hire an American CNA who will expect a living wage- when hiring an immigrant who will work for cheap hourly rate is a viable option? We need to seriously think this out and speak up on it.
What is your opinion on this?
April 21st, 2009 at 10:42 am
I’ve been saying this for a couple years now! Certain industries will become “dependent” upon these immigrants, who are willing to work for less. This will drive OUR pay down. This goes in the opposite direction we want, we need, to go. I don’t understand how the unions and others can be so supporting of this.
Will they have two sets of class for employees? Those who are American and demand more and those who are not and who will settle for less? I doubt it. We all know damn well the industry will TAKE total advantage of the immigrants. CNA work will be added to the long list of jobs Americans won’t do. It makes me sick to think after all these years of fighting for better working conditions, pay and benefits, something as sneaky as this can come along and ruin all that hard work.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Yes Kim you have been waving the flag on this…for more than a few years.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. I have seen, in other “industries” how immigrant hiring practices have driven down the pay so there is something there for sure. I’m thinking, in my mind that there must be some connection between this poor care among Hispanics, and WHO is taking care of them. The fast food CNA’s, low pay and poor work ethics might have something to do with it all…and yes this work is not fun, glamorous or high profile. So it is just ripe for being labeled a job no American would do.
We’ll need to stand up for the immigrants who get conned into this at lower pay rates; as they become more accustomed to America they too will demand higher wages and more respect. But that could be another 20 yrs from now.
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Yes, Kim and Patti, I couldn’t agree more! I recently got into this field after losing my Union job
of 26 years at a local Maryland food chain. I was shocked and disappointed at the low, disgusting wage and how hard they want you to work! I think, however, the first step is resident/staff ratios in
all 50 states, not just the few we have now! Then, we can address the low wages and possibly talk about unionizing. Both LTC and Assisted Living will be in crisis over the next decade or so as the senior population continues to grow if we don’t do something soon. I, for one, the way things are now,
DO NOT want to end up in a place like where I work now! These places are nothing but “window dressing”
to unsuspecting and uninformed family members who think they are doing right by mom or pop based on how the facility looks and “smooth talking” of marketers and DON’s! I would like to be proactive in
soliciting for these ratios I mentioned. Is anybody on board with me that could help get us started?
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
WELL I WORK IN A NURSING HOME IN IL AND I HAVE TO SAY IT IS PRETTY NICE FOR A NURSING HOME. I MEAN THEY ALL HAVE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDERSSES AND LOW PAY IS A TOP ONE.I THINK IF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN KNEW WHAT NURSING HOME CARE GIVERS MADE THEY MAYBE COULD HELP. I MEAN ALOT OF THEM WILL SOME DAY BE IN ONE, AND I AM SURE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SKILLED CARE GIVERS. THEY PAY THE NURSES SO WELL AND THE C.N.A DO MOST OF THE WORK. THIS IS WRONG. BEING A C.N.A IS VERY HARD WORK YOU HAD BETTER LOVE WORKING WITH OLDER PEOPLE AS I DO. I LOVE WHAT I DO EVEN IF THE PAY IS NOT SO GOOD,YOU CAN NOT GET THAT KIND OF HIGH FROM ANYTHING ELSE. BETTER DAYS ARE COMING TO ALL CARE GIVERS AND I DO BELIVE THIS WITH ALL MY HEART. HANG IN THERE!!! COOKIE
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 am
PattiS:
A good place to start would be at the Direct Care Alliance- which we posted about very recently. This is a direct care worker advocacy group whose mission is to improve our work- pay, benefits, level of respect, ect.
Each year the DCA hosts a workshop for direct care givers (CNA’s) and NOW is the time to apply. The workshops do everything you ask: The help you learn how to advocate effectively. How to meet with representatives, to speak before committees, to write letters that will GET ATTENTION.
Here is the post with more info and links:
http://nursingassistants.net/2009/04/21/direct-care-alliance-seeking-workshop-attendees/
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
Also, PattiS, look at the sidebar to the right, find the State Direct Care Worker/CNA Associations
and see if there’s an association in your state. Right below these links is another group of links I recommend: CNA Advocacy Associations
Check out PHI- a leading advocacy organization that has really put some effort out there to help us rise up.
http://phinational.org/