Nursing Home Workers Strike in Danbury

People driving on Osborne Street saw dozens and sometimes more than 100 workers striking Tuesday outside the Danbury Health Care Center at the corner of Osborne Street and Locust Avenue.

Members of the New England Health Care Employees Union, 1199, picketed the former Mediplex facility because they and management failed to agree on a contract.

Worker Eileen Underwood of Danbury, a 32-year veteran at the facility said her hours were cut on her regular shift, her "Balyor Shift" hours were cut and her health care costs rose $642 per month for her and her husband.

"We knew it was going to cost more but that's too much," said Underwood, and LPN, who was working at the facility in 1995, when it was first organized. "We didn't want to strike, but the boss stopped negotiating with us."

Union Representative and Organizer Liz Goggin explained that when negotiations ran out, managment imposed its final offer on the workers. She said the issue has been appealed to the National Labor Relations Board, and a hearing is scheduled for September.

Teresa Macedo of Danbury, a 16-year veteran of the firm, said she lost 2.5 hours a day under the contract imposed by the company.

"This is unfair because they imposed the contract without negotiating," Macedo said.

The company used to contribute about 8 percent of a person's wages to the pension plan, and it switched workers to a 401(K) plan in which is is proposing to contribute less than 1 percent. Private companies have been shifting away from pension plans and into 401(K) plans for more than 20 years and no workers like the change.

Macedo isn't happy with that either. Macedo, Goggin and Underwood joined about 15 striking workers at the City Council meeting Tuesday to discuss the union's issues with members of the city council.