Nursing home workers approve contract

ALBION – The union representing workers at the former Orleans County nursing home announced the employees have approved a contract with the site’s new owner, Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services.

Comprehensive purchased the 120-bed Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, effective Jan. 1. The company paid $7.8 million for the facility on Route 31.
Chautauqua County also sold its nursing home in Dunkirk to a private company, VestraCare.

CSEA employees at both the Albion and Dunkirk sites approved five-year labor deals with the new owners of the nursing homes.

“These companies have shown a commitment to the residents and to the workers,” said CSEA Western Region President Flo Tripi. “They came into negotiations sharing our goals, and they honored the workers’ experience and dedication to quality care.”

Both contracts provide wages comparable to former agreements. They also retain the former county employees’ seniority, offer health insurance and provide other terms and conditions geared toward maintaining an experienced and dedicated staff for the residents.

“VestraCare and Comprehensive Healthcare know that quality care will suffer if you lose good, long-term workers and replace them with low-paid, inexperienced staff,” said CSEA Private Sector Director Bob Compani. “These companies are not willing to punish good workers for profit. They are looking to make changes the right way, to continue to provide quality care and to protect middle class jobs.”