Picket for Workers at Narraguagus Bay Health Care Facility

Management wants a three year contract, with a wage freeze!

They haven't had a pay raise in a year. The workers have the support of the town and on Monday, they're going to picket. See below for more information on the situation:

Hi,

Would like to let you know about a Union demonstration to begin on 11.02.09. The place is a little coastal town named Milbridge. Milbridge is a beautiful place and the residents there are friendly and caring. This includes a place called Narraguagus Bay Health Care Facility(NBHCF). It has 65 beds, both nursing home and residential care folks live here. When a family member as well as comes into the facility they are treated like family even if the care givers have never met them before. The residential people are encouraged to do what they can so to keep as much independence, self worth and pride as possible. The nursing home folks are guided through their daily lives as near as normal as can be due to their different disabilities and dementia and health problems. They are treated with respect and dignity.

Now the problem is that in order for this to continue the care givers need a liveable wage and $8.06 an hour for the responsibility and knowledge for medications to the residential care people is not a liveable wage. For a 32 hour position, this equals out to: $515.84 every 2 weeks minus $130.09 for health insurance, and minus approx. $103.16 for taxes. So that is $282.68 for 2 week or $141.34 a week. This is not a liveable wage.

Now what the Downeast Federation of Nursing and Other Health Professionals Union, Local 5073 is going to do is let the folks of this fantastic town know just what is happening.

NBHCF is owned by Dr. Steve Weisburger and Managed by North Country.

This is right from the North Country web site: "Mission Statement-North Country is dedicated to providing quality care in comfortable home-like facilities, to maintaining our facilities in a manner which provides best possible resident care in a progressive working environment, and to the delivery of these goals with a warm positive attitude. We offer our employees a professional environment, filled with the rewards of teamwork and making a difference in the lives of those we care for."

We have had an unsigned contract since June of 2008. Now management wants us to sign a three year contract with a wage freeze in place. No cost of living raise and no step raise (which is in the contract now, through a clause in the contract).

One union member that works in the kitchen is 82 years old. She has been with the company for 28 years. Her wage is $10.40 an hour. Some one off the street can start in her job at $7.50 which is just $2.90 for 28 years of loyalty. Of course I was told by the last administrator that it was her choice to work there all those years. Maybe her choice but many residents have benefited from her kindness and care she has so graciously given for all those years. And just the other day she was asked and worked a double having never in 28 years of service been trained for the evening shift.

Responsibility is a BIG part of this job. We work with elderly people, not items on a grocery store shelf. At WalMarts the starting wage is over $12.00. We have to make sure these people are fed, clean, and as active as they can be. So to enjoy their lives to the fullest possible. We enjoy our jobs and a lot of us have been doing this job for a number of years.

In residential care there is up to 23 residents on the unit. On 3-11 and 11-7 shifts after 5 o'clock there is just 2 staff people on the unit-(this makes it hard to get breaks and now the med person cannot leave the unit unless there is another med person to count and give the keys to so technically med person cannot get a break at all). We have pills, blood sugars to be taken, insulin shots to be given and eye drops. Judgement calls on whether to send some one to the hospital. Communicate with the doctors about residents and relay if there is anything going on with them.

And of course we do have some who can do a lot for them selves but are forgetful. But they are very active in the way of going up and down the hall, walking. Right now 16% need total help getting ready for bed. Each shift has a shower most days to give also, so some one who may be some what independent needs the help with the shower.

Then there is the paper work that needs doing so the bills can be sent out correctly.

In the nursing home unit it is pretty much the aides have to do everything thing for the residents. Some have to be fed, most have to be shown the bathroom, then they have the showers or bath tub bath and most everyone has to be at least washed up and either dressed or dressed for bed on each shift. Some even have to be taken where ever they may need to be for an activity or a meal, or just to look out the window. Sometimes a resident has to be talked into doing what needs to be done, even talk them into eating.

The LPNs talk to the doctors and do dressings and vital signs of folks just out of the hospital.

CMAT pass the meds from the med cart that is in the medication book. This is our expertise personal: Certified Residental Medication Assistant- CRMA- a one week course plus every has to recert with a 8 hour refresher course every 2 years, plus has to be a CNA or a PCA Certified Nurses Assistant -CNA- 6-12 week course plus have 12 hours yearly of updating education, and has to work at least one day every 2 years to keep the certification.

Personal Care Assistant-PCA- 3 days training

Certified Medical Assistant Tech- 6 months of training

Licenced Practical Nurses- LPN- 2 years of training plus different special trainings

Cook 1-on the job training but we do have some experienced cooks

Cook 2- Kitchen Aide 1- on the job training and helps the cooks Kitchen Aide 2

Laundry- does the laundry, sews buttons on and at times patches clothes

Housekeeper-dusts, washes floors, picks up, wipes off tables and changes the cloths, washes the bed each month