Over 300 employees from five Ciena Healthcare-managed nursing facilities in Metro Detroit embarked on a 24-hour strike today, demanding improved wages, benefits, and working conditions. The striking workers, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Health Care Michigan, staged the walkout to draw attention to their plight of operating without a contract for months, with some agreements stalled since January 2024, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
The staff at Boulevard Temple Care Center, Qualicare Nursing Home, The Regency at Chene all in Detroit, Notting Hill of West Bloomfield, and Regency at St. Clair Shores voiced their frustrations over what SEIU dubbed "the failure of Ciena." In a press release shared by SEIU, nurse Tikesha Williams expressed her concern saying, "We dedicate our time to caring for our residents, but Ciena makes us jump through hoops to care for ourselves," as stated to FOX 2 Detroit. The union is demanding higher wages also for non-nursing staff like those in housekeeping and cooking, and they take issue with Ciena's propositions to end paid meal periods and the ability to sell back unused sick time among other benefits.
While the SEIU union, which includes nurses earning an average of more than $33 an hour and up to more than $56 an hour, pushes for increased compensation and benefits, Ciena Healthcare insists that efforts have been made towards reaching an agreement. David Parker, CEO of Ciena Healthcare, countered the necessity of the strikes, informing that, "none of the collective bargaining agreements are at an impasse" and that negotiations were continuing, as per remarks documented by clickondetroit.
Despite the ongoing labor dispute, Ciena Healthcare affirmed that the quality care for residents at the affected facilities would persist throughout the strike. The company accused SEIU of slowing down the bargaining process, failing to provide dates, and canceling negotiation sessions, as per Parker's statement. "Simply stated, this strike is diverting attention away from bargaining to resolve the few remaining open issues in each agreement and we look forward to working with the Union to obtain favorable contracts for our employees," Parker argued in a sentiment obtained by CBS News Detroit. With both parties maintaining their positions, the status of the negotiations remains undetermined as the workforce continues to strike.
