Tentative Deal Reached To Avert Saint Therese Workers Strike
Union workers at Saint Therese nursing home in New Hope are calling off a strike after reaching a tentative contract agreement with management.
Nearly 200 workers were planning to walk out for a five-day strike starting Saturday, June 15.
The union and management have been negotiating a contract since November, with laborers asking for a raise to their base pay.
Meanwhile, Saint Therese of New Hope is being sold to a new management company, Compass Healthcare. The sale and transition are expected be finalized by Aug. 1.
Union members filed notice of the plans to strike after news of the sale became public.
The union says members were contractually obligated to have 90-days notice before a sale, but they were given less than 60-days notice.
Strikers picket the Saint Therese of New Hope nursing home in March 2024. Union workers called off a five-day strike this week after reaching a tentative contract agreement with management.
“I am ready to strike because I am incredibly frustrated,” said Mofoba Kanneh, a certified nursing assistant at Saint Therese. “It doesn’t feel like we are being respected by the management … Saint Therese promised a $5 wage increase to our base wage, and we want that set before the new company comes in, and we want to be able to start bargaining with our new employer. It feels like they’ve treated us like trash, and it feels like this strike is our only option right now to protect workers and residents.”
This came after union members walked out for a one-day strike in March.
However, the union announced that they reached a tentative agreement with management on Wednesday.
The agreement includes a $5 increase in base wage pay.
Union members will vote on the agreement on Friday.
Craig Abbott, president and CEO of Saint Therese, provided the following statement to CCX News:
“We are very pleased to have come to a resolution with the SEIU union, solidify workforce investments Saint Therese made in 2022, provide comfort and assurances for our valued staff and caregivers and agree on other key terms and conditions important to all stakeholders during a time of ownership transition. As a result of our collective and collaborative efforts there will be no strike at our New Hope senior community on Saturday. We deeply respect our healthcare workers and the care and services they provide to our residents. We have been, and continue to be, committed to doing the right thing for all Saint Therese employees.”
