HARTFORD, Conn. — About 500 unionized group home workers in Connecticut are threatening to walk off the job next month if settlements aren’t reached on new labor contracts.
The New England Health Care Employees Union delivered strike notices to Whole Life Inc. and Network Inc. About 70 locations could be affected. The union’s contract deadline is Oct. 5.
The threatened strike comes more than three months after state officials authorized over $180 million to increase wages and benefits for group home workers who help people with developmental disabilities.
Gov. Ned Lamont said a the time the state was very close to negotiating a "basic" four-year agreement with the nursing union to prevent a proposed strike set for May 14.
The agreement would include a 10.7% raise that will be spread over the four years, which Lamont said would mean "substantial" raises for nursing home workers.
Contract talks, however, have faltered with these two remaining agencies.
In May, the Yale Law School Clinic released a new report saying Connecticut’s nursing home workers continue to struggle with staffing shortages, a lack of protective equipment, and low pay.
The report, titled “‘We Were Abandoned’: How Connecticut Failed Nursing Home Workers and Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” is based on a study of Department of Public Health documents and worker interviews.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newsteam@fox61.com
----
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
