The sweltering mid-morning temperature Saturday was not an obstacle for more than 100 people who showed up outside a nursing home to support striking Spectrum Health Care workers.
A“solidarity caravan” brought politicians and members of unions from other parts of the state to the Naugatuck Valley as the Service Employees International Union Local 1199 pressed forward with their 101-day old strike against Spectrum, a company based in Vernon.
Click the video to hear State Rep. Mike Lawlor say the Spectrum simply wants to break the union.
Locally, Spectrum operates Hilltop Health Center in Ansonia and Birmingham Health Center on Chatfield Street in Derby.
Caravan members arrived in a school bus at Birmingham in Derby. Several people in cars honked their horns before disembarking to wave yellow flags and shout slogans alongside SEIU members. The chants included “Forward Always, Backwards Never!”
Prior to its arrival in Derby, the caravan visited the Hilltop Health Center in Ansonia. Workers are also on strike at Spectrum facilities in Hartford and Winsted.
Saturday’s message from the caravan: state union members are standing firm with the Spectrum employees until SEIU and the health care company work out a deal.
SEIU President Carmen Boudier said the workers have to take a stand in order to get a fair contract for workers.
“What our members feel [is they] should be able to function in the community. To be able to buy a car, to buy a house…to make sure they can live a decent life. We can’t give up on that. That is very important to our members,” she said.
Ray Pompano, President of the United Electrical Workers Union, said the SEIU members should stand firm until they get a better contract for the good for current and future Spectrum workers.
“It’s not only about us. This is the contract for you and the ones that will come after. Stick together in solidarity,” he said.
Politicians also voiced support for the Spectrum employees. East Haven Mayor April Capone Almon said while the SEIU has offered some concessions to make a deal possible, it appears Spectrum is unwilling to negotiate in good faith. That, she said, does not help anyone involved.
“When you have one party in the negotiations that’s not willing to negotiate in good faith, this is what happens,” she said. “This is not acceptable.”
While Spectrum officials recently stated that the union has made unfair demands given the condition of the state and national economy, Almon said using the economy “can be somewhat of an excuse.”
“People understand (the economy) and respect that and these people understand and respect that. They’ve offered givebacks. It’s up to Spectrum to negotiate in good faith,” Almon added.
Melinda Treloar of Ansonia, a nurse’s aide at Birmingham Health for 12 years, said it’s great knowing the striking workers have support from other unions.
“We’re fighting for a fair contract,” she said. “We didn’t go into negotiations asking for any more than we had.”
The union has been visiting local governments, asking for resolutions urging an end to the strike. The Derby Board of Aldermen adopted one such resolution Thursday, being careful not to pick a side in the union-owner dispute.
Click here for our previous story on the nursing home strike.
