SEIU Healthcare Union officials announced late last night that a strike has been averted for 64 long-term care facilities in the state. 6000 frontline workers in the facilities were prepared to go to the picket lines on Friday, including 2 Aperion Care homes – one in Jacksonville and another in Springfield. The tentative agreement is a 2 year contract with the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities.
The workers won a higher base salary for 10,000 members to the union, bringing all workers above $15 an hour and establishing greater parity in wages across geographic areas; Hazard pay for all workers for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis; Fully paid sick days for COVID-19 related testing, illness or quarantine for duration of the crisis; and Provisions ensuring that employees are not required to work without adequate PPE as determined by regulatory agencies for the duration of the crisis.
The tentative agreement was supported by members of SEIU’s bargaining committee, but it still needs to be ratified by the larger group for complete passage.