Representatives of more than 10,000 nursing home workers across 100 Illinois nursing homes will announce the results of strike votes they’ve been conducting in their workplaces for the past several weeks. Members of the SEIU Healthcare-Illinois union are expected to announce the results of the vote in a teleconference at 3:30 this afternoon. SEIU healthcare represents one nursing home in Morgan County and another in Springfield among several others across the state.
Nursing home workers have been seeking answers to written notices to nursing home owners for improved PPE, enhanced safety protocols, appropriate hazard pay and base compensation, sufficient paid time off for coronavirus-related illness, increased staffing levels, protection of their healthcare coverage, and transparency about COVID-19 cases in facilities for several weeks. During his daily press briefing last Monday, Governor J.B. Pritzker said the state had many bad actors at the management level in the nursing home industry across the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health has also been releasing more updated information on nursing homes with more than 5 positive cases of the virus.
The current bargaining contract covering these facilities is set to expire on Friday. SEIU Healthcare said in a press release that they are seeking a 1 year agreement with an ask for increased wages and safety measures across the industry. The announcement of the results of the votes will take place outside of Alden Wentworth in Chicago today.