Email Article CLERGY STANDS BEHIND WINDSOR WORKERS
Almost 100 local religious leaders, clergy and laity signed an open letter expressing their "deep concern about the treatment of vulnerable seniors who are residents of Windsor Healthcare facilities and the caregivers who serve them." The letter was printed in the latest edition of the well-respected newspaper The Jewish Journal.
Windsor Caregivers Come Out Fighting
Our strike sent the message loud and clear:
Vivian Vergara and Stella Armour, superior UHW spokeswomen
“Windsor Healthcare Isn’t Fair! We deserve better wages, benefits, job security and a voice in resident care at Windsor nursing homes!” And our calls were heard. We had tremendous support from the community, clergy, residents and their families, and elected officials. Almost every Bay Area TV station broadcast live reports from our picket lines and from the lockout:
• ABC – KBWB, KGO
• FOX -- KTVU
• CBS -- KION
• NBC – KNTV
• My Network TV -- KRON
• Univision
• Telemundo
• Filipino TV
And we also received coverage in these newspapers and other media outlets:
• Contra Costa Times
• Salinas Californian
• Fremont Argus
• Monterey County Herald
• Hayward Globe
• Bay City News
• Cyber-World News
• KPFA Radio
We forced Windsor back to the bargaining table, where we’ll meet them Monday, October 27, united for a fair contract and quality care for our residents.
Windsor Needs its Caregivers!
By Saturday morning, all caregivers at Windsor's nursing homes were back to work following a successful two day unfair labor practice strike that occurred Wednesday and Thursday.
Several hundred workers from eight Windsor facilities demonstrated to Windsor management their determination to speak out for resident care and win a fair and just contract. Windsor chose to illegally lock out workers at six of the eight homes Friday despite the presence of elected officials, members of the clergy, and other community leaders who stood with caregivers at every facility as they tried to return to work on Friday. They were met with excessive presence of security and a refusal by management to return to work.
By Saturday, all workers returned to work to do what we do best- to provide the best care we can to residents despite Windsor management’s drive for profits.
Our message could not be any clearer: Windsor must return to the table and bargain in good faith instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on strikebreakers, security guards, high paid media consultants, and attorney fees.
Windsor needs to stop using public money to defeat its caregivers. That’s not what the public had in mind when it supported additional funding into the nursing home industry. Windsor should do the right thing and invest in its workforce and resident care and settle our contract.
Caregivers are committed to improving resident care and will not be deterred by Windsor’s tactics to silence our voices. The struggle continues.
Click here to see press on the unfair labor practices strike.
Windsor caregivers complete a successful first day on strike!
Yesterday, hundreds of caregivers across eight nursing homes sent the message to Windsor: We are united in our fight for better resident care.
Throughout the day, workers held
* Two packed press conferences
* Two rallies with elected officials and community leaders (including one at Windsor's regional headquarters in Concord), and
* Eight vigils with numerous members of the clergy
Friday morning, caregivers are prepared to return to work together, just as strong in their commitment to secure higher standards of care at Windsor nursing homes.
Click here to see press coverage on the unfair labor practices strike.