Fresno Workers Strike!

Nursing home workers at Sunnyside Convalescent Hospital are holding a one-day strike today (Monday, September 15). The caregivers have been forced to strike because for the last four weeks they have received incomplete paychecks or no checks at all. On Sept. 6 management distributed a letter stating that the caregivers would receive no more pay until the state budget crisis is resolved. Sunnyside owner Michael Fellen has also not maintained adequate medical supplies, putting care for seniors at risk.

Of the approximately fifty nursing homes in the Central Valley where workers have formed a union with SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, Sunnyside Convalescent is the only one where an owner has stopped paying caregivers for their work. Since October 2007 workers have been negotiating with management at Sunnyside Convalescent for a contract that raises standards for patient care and workforce retention. The contract expired in November 2007.

With more than 150,000 members, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the fastest-growing healthcare union in the United States. We represent healthcare workers in all job classifications and all healthcare settings, including hospitals, homecare, nursing homes and clinics. Our mission is to achieve high-quality healthcare for all.

[The above information is from a Press Release issued by SEIU-UHW, prior to the Press Conference]