Workers return to work on Monday, March 19 and claim victory following 104 days on the picket line against Christian Care Home in Ferguson. The long-fought settlement agreement for a new contract provides wage increases, fair provisions for increases in health insurance coverage, seniority protection. It also calls for prompt payouts for a number of Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) and grievance settlements.
“I am so happy, the strike is over,” SEIU shop steward Brenda Davis said.
SEIU union members are excited to get back to work with the residents they love and they look forward to working cooperatively with the Christian Care Home management in the future.
“I think the biggest part of all of is that we are still together all in one piece,” said Davis, who works as a certified nursing assistant at Christian Care Home. “I’m so proud of my coworkers.”
As holidays came and went, strikers received support from community allies, faith leaders and elected officials, as they braved the cold and remained reinvigorated their fight for a fair contract.
“I think they thought if they treated us badly enough, we would give up, but that just made us more determined to stand up for ourselves and our residents,” she said.
State Representative Bruce Franks Jr. was a vocal supporter of striking workers.
“From day one of their strike, I was impressed with how the workers were on the picket line not just for themselves, but for the whole community,” Franks said. “When they stood up for themselves on the job, they were demanding that they be treated with dignity and respect – and that all workers be afforded that same dignity and respect, whatever the color of their skin.”
The American has reached out to members of Christian Care Home’s management on multiple occasions, who refused to comment on the work dispute.
The strike started on December 1, and workers filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against Christian Care Home for making unilateral changes to staffing, hours and schedules, failing to provide relevant information in a timely manner, and otherwise restricting workers in the exercise of their rights. The union reported that management further challenged strikers’ resolve with additional unlawful acts, which resulted in workers’ having to file the additional ULP charges that Christian Care Home threatened recent hires with termination for joining the strike and denied accrued and earned benefits to striking employees.
In late February, workers received a vote of confidence from another source – the St. Louis regional office of the National Labor Relations Board. The Board announced it had found merit to multiple Unfair Labor Practices the strikers had filed.
“We knew that the NLRB was likely to find in workers’ favor,” said Lenny Jones, director of SEIU Healthcare Missouri. “It was always a matter of timing and perseverance. Management seemed to be betting on workers giving up before Christian Care had to face any real consequences for their Unfair Labor Practices. But the strikers kept standing strong – and that meant Christian Care had to either settle a fair contract or go to trial.”
Tuesday, March 13, a little over two weeks after the NLRB finding in favor of the workers, management agreed to the new contract, which workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify the following day. It calls for guaranteed raises; Christian Care to pay the increase in health insurance rates for 2018, and to pay half of any increases to insurance rates for 2019 and 2020; payouts of Unfair Labor Practice and grievance settlements within 10 days; and respect for worker seniority as employees return to work. As feasible with the facility’s current occupation rate, former striking workers will return to their original status and shift.
State Rep. Cora Faith Walker was a frequent visitor to the picket line and another outspoken supporter of the striking workers.
“It was clear to me that workers had no choice but to go on strike given the multiple unfair labor practices they were facing,” she said. “And it was just as clear to me that management had an obligation not just to workers, but also to residents to resolve these issues and treat workers fairly, so they could get back to providing care for the residents they love.
“I am inspired by the workers’ bravery and persistence. They won this victory, for themselves and for residents, by standing strong and not backing down.”
When the go back to work Monday morning, returning employees will be greeted by those supporters who have been with them during the arduous strike, which includes faith and elected leaders, community allies and resident’s family members.
