(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - More than 25 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers East Professional and Technical Nursing Home Workers employed at Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany have voted to authorize a week-long Strike should an agreement not be reached with their employer. 

The Unionized Caregivers – full- and -part-time Occupational Therapists, Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA) and Sports Trainers - have been working without a contract since their two-year contract expired on April 30th (2023). 

The Employees at Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany (dba as RCA Servicer at Aurora Park, LLC & RCA Servicer at Allegany, LLC) have been bargaining for a fair contract for several months without much progress, Union Officials said. 

Earlier this month, Workers (Pictured Above/1199 SEIU Photo) held an informational picket to draw attention to the lack of a fair contract. 

The Workers are demanding a competitive contract with fair wages and longevity pay to retain Staff, but also to help recruit new Workers. 

The employer’s current proposals to cut paid time off, health insurance benefits and other benefits for newly hired workers would make it extremely difficult to recruit Professional and Technical Workers for any open vacancies, leaving current Workers to pick up additional work to care for residents, 1199 SEIU said.

“We want respect in the form of recognition of everything we do,” Occupational Therapist Joshua Previte said.  “We deserve better pay to compete with other facilities and so that new Workers will want to come here and the current Workers will want to say.  We are fighting for better benefits for new hires as management currently wants to reduce what they would offer.”

Speech Therapist Shannon Earl-Durolek said: “Our workload is overwhelming and it makes it hard to provide the quality care our residents deserve.  In order to get the help we need, the employer needs to offer competitive wages and a benefit package.  We have people come in and interview, but once they see the wages and benefits, they don’t accept the offer and others have left their jobs for an increase in pay elsewhere.”

Absolut Care of Aurora Park and Absolut Care of Allegany are currently undergoing a change in ownership through the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). 

The for-profit residential health care facilities will be owned by Orly Lieberman, Michael Farbenblum, Menachem Tauber and Mordechai Mendlowitz once the application for the change is approved by NYSDOH.

1199SEIU and RCA Servicer at Aurora Park, LLC & RCA Servicer at Allegany, LLC are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on June 27th (2023).