Milbridge Healthcare Workers In Search Of New Contract

by Rob Poindexter · Nov 16th 2009 WABI-TV 5 Workers at a healthcare facility in Milbridge say their being treated unfairly by ownership and they've decided to let their voices be heard. They've decided to take their frustration to the streets. LaVerne Coopersmith, a CNA at the facility, says their demands are not that unreasonable. "Maybe a 2% raise and a signed contract, that doesn't seem like asking too much, it seems fair," she says. The workers say management got a pay raise and they want what they say is fair. Dr. Stephen Weisberger is the owner of the facility and he told TV5 the following over the phone. "To my knowledge, no raises have been given to any administrator or manager since the wage freeze. These are tough times. My workers are fantastic and we're working towards a solution that is financially viable for them." Workers claim management received their pay increases just a month before their own wages were frozen and they say that isn't right. "We realize the economy is bad," says Marie Leighton a CRMA at the facility, "but I guess if management hadn't gotten theirs, it wouldn't have been so bad, but they got theirs in April and we got a freeze in May and I don't think that's quite fair." Patients and their families say the staff here works hard and deserves fair treatment. Jackie Jellison's mother is being treated in the Narraguagus Healthcare Facility and she says the care there is first rate. "The care that these ladies have for these residents is wonderful. I mean they go out of their way and like Marie said, they stop in on their off time to see how patients are." The protestors say they will continue to picket as long as it takes. The two sides are scheduled to sit down at the negotiating table on December 4th. Video for this story is available through this link.