No Place for Union Strikes in
Senior Living

Posted on | November 6, 2009 | 1 Comment

Posted by Paul Williams
Senior Director of Government Relations, ALFA

On Tuesday, the largest transportation union in Philadelphia went on strike over wage, pension, and health-care issues. As a result, thousands of citizens who rely on Philadelphia’s buses, subways, and trolleys were forced to find alternative transportation, and many were unable to do so. For many of Philadelphia’s citizens, public transportation is the only option for getting to their jobs and other essential destinations, such as doctor’s offices and supermarkets. 

In an economy that has seen surging unemployment rates and many workers going on their second and third years without wage increases, the Transport Workers Union Local 234 in Philadelphia has not only turned down a proposed contract that included modest wage increases, but left the negotiating table altogether and commenced a strike. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA), a supporter of unions for his entire public career, was stunned that unions walked away from a wage increase in a down economy. He even stated that their contract demands were “sensational” in the best of years.

The Philadelphia transit strike touches on one of the most sensitive concerns for residents and their families in assisted living and other senior living communities. In resident satisfaction surveys – conducted by ALFA during the last two years – residents and families express concern about who would provide much-needed care services if caregivers were to belong to a union that went on strike. This concern is certainly shared by assisted living providers who would ultimately be responsible for ensuring that the seniors they’ve promised to care for receive the services they need. 

In the case of the Philadelphia transit strike, Gov. Rendell says he doesn’t think union bosses are acting in the best interest of their dues-paying members, and that the workers themselves would likely welcome the wage increase that comes with the proposed agreement. Passage of the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would only contribute to this type of scenario. Under EFCA, workers would be denied the right to a secret ballot when deciding if they wish to belong to a union, and could be subjected to pressure from union bosses and co-workers who would ask them to sign authorization cards in lieu of a secret ballot.

Gov. Rendell’s predicament with the union bosses representing Transport Workers Union Local 234 is something every employee should observe closely. The most important decisions and negotiations affecting unionized workers are made by union bosses, not their members. The union bosses of the Transport Workers Union Local 234 have put their interests above the citizens of Philadelphia who rely on transportation for their livelihoods, and presumably many of their members, to secure wage increases and benefits that are unrealistic during the current economic downturn. 

ALFA and its member providers support the right of workers to decide by secret ballot if they wish to be represented by a union. What workers and employers in senior living must realize is that strikes are always a potential occurrence in unionized workplaces, and while this may be acceptable in other industries and professions, it should not occur in senior living. To ensure employees continue to have the right to decide for themselves by secret ballot elections if they wish to be represented by a union, the EFCA must be defeated and the current system of federally supervised secret ballot elections be preserved. 

For more information about the EFCA issue and the senior living business, read “Card Check Battle Continues” in Assisted Living Executive, published by ALFA.

If you have not contacted your members of Congress to oppose EFCA or any so-called compromise measures, please visit ALFA’s Online Advocacy Center.

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