Florida Nursing Home Workers Fight For Fair Contracts While Facilities Propose Extreme Cuts

September 26, 2025

Members of 1199SEIU have launched a bargaining campaign for new three-year contracts at four nursing homes across Florida that would deliver fair and reasonable wage increases to keep up with the rapidly rising cost of living in the state.

The effort will take unity and persistence as the facility operators have responded with extreme and untenable proposals including cuts to wages, work hours, paid holidays and other essential elements workers won in previous contracts.

The contracts would cover approximately 370 employees, such as CNAs, dietary staff, housekeepers and laundry workers at Wilton Manors Health & Rehab, Unity Health & Rehab in Miami, North Beach Rehab, and Rockledge Health & Rehab.

Management proposals, that also include unfair cuts to uniforms, punctuality incentives, ratification bonuses and more, might also violate U.S. Labor law and the National Labor Relations Act, Section 8(a)(5), regarding employers refusing to bargain in good faith, say union leaders

Employers cannot come to the table with the goal of clawing back everything workers have won in the past or use bargaining as a weapon to punish workers and/or negotiate backwards, according to 1199SEIU.

In addition, the four facilities are owned by different companies, but all represented by the same lawyer and are presenting nearly identical proposals at the bargaining table, indicating a coordinated effort to slash contracts rather than individual economic necessity.

Workers are prepared to keep up the fight to support and protect their families, and for the well-being of their elderly, vulnerable patients. 

“I love caring for my patients, but I need fair wages and benefits to protect and support my own family,” said Dany Fleurantus, a CNA at Wilton Manors and a mother of three. “We have to stand together and fight hard because management wants to pay us as little as they can no matter how much it costs to live here.”

“We have been able to push back and stop some of the worst of the proposed take-aways,” said Dr. Carolina Ampudia, 1199SEIU organizer and chief negotiator. “But we have a great deal of work to do to reach fair agreements in Florida, a state with one of the highest costs of living and fastest price increases in the country.”

Beyond negotiations, workers are planning “walks on the boss,” calls to facility owner corporate offices, Labor Day rallies and other actions.

“It’s important that we stay determined, engaged and united,” said Sherry McCaslin, a CNA at Rockledge Health & Rehab. “That’s how we’ll win for workers, patients and our whole community.”

Nursing Home Workers Tell D.C. Lawmakers: “Hands Off Our Healthcare

Teams of Florida nursing home workers joined fellow SEIU members from across the country on multiple lobbying visits to Washington, D.C. to let lawmakers know they’re extremely concerned about deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and other essential programs.  Nearly four million Floridians, from children to seniors, would be devastated by the loss of healthcare, nutrition and other essential needs.

Proposed by the Trump Administration and passed by Republicans in the House of Representatives, the current legislation would slash nearly $700 billion from Medicaid, as well as placing greater restrictions and requirements on working and low-income Americans to receive services and support. In the House plan, about $267 billion in SNAP food aid over the next 10 years would be eliminated. The bill is now being considered by the Senate, in which Republicans also hold the majority.

“These cuts would hurt vulnerable people who need care the most. As a longtime nursing home worker, I know first-hand that many of the frail and elderly residents I care for depend on Medicaid. These are our parents, grandparents and loved ones. We can’t sit back and remain silent without voicing our concerns. That’s why I felt compelled to join this lobbying trip,” said Rushelle Goodwine Perry, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) from Tampa Bay.

In Florida, the care for about four out of every seven nursing home patients is supported with Medicaid funding. 

In addition to eliminating this critical care, these Medicaid and SNAP cuts would result in substantial job losses for healthcare workers and employees in other sectors across the state. Public health studies have shown that 45,000 workers would lose their jobs and livelihoods just in Florida if Trump and Republicans in the House and Senate are successful in their broad effort to slash opportunities and programs for working families.

The 1199SEIU Florida contingent visited several lawmakers from Trump’s GOP. The caregivers and other workers shared personal stories and -experiences on the importance of Medicaid, SNAP and more for their patients, communities and their own families.

“The lobby visits were very valuable in understanding the process and finding out who cares at all about their constituents or at least willing to listen,” said Yvonna Julies, a medical record and central supply coordinator at a South Florida nursing home. “It was a great learning experience for us, and I hope for them, too.”

Highlighting real-life consequences and establishing productive discussions with all lawmakers – even those who generally ignore the needs of workers – is critical to highlighting the grave importance of protecting Medicaid, SNAP and more, especially when the massive cuts are to fund even more Trump tax giveaways for the already ultra-rich.

“This is an aspect that caregivers find especially disturbing because able-bodied billionaires don’t need even more tax breaks when working people, their kids and elderly loved ones are truly sick,” said Coy Jones, 1199SEIU state political director.  “That’s the real waste, fraud and abuse of the system. But our member-leaders spoke in a strong unified voice to deliver a compelling message to Congress: hands off our healthcare.”

To help save Medicaid, SNAP and more, visit www.healthcareworkersaction.org or call 866-426-2631.

1199SEIU Caregivers Meet With Central Florida Public Media Leaders To Discuss Challenges, Rewards Of Working In Nursing Homes

September 25, 2025

ORLANDO – Members of 1199SEIU joined a listening tour hosted by Central Florida Public Media and WMFE to share the many challenges and rewards of working in nursing homes and caring for the region’s elderly.

The event was to help the non-profit media organization learn directly about the issues and emotions faced by long-term care workers, to then most accurately shape news coverage that’s shared with large radio and online audiences. Central Florida Public Media’s mission is to provide the region with “journalism and fact-based content that empower the community to better understand and participate in our diverse and complex world.”

During the session, about 20 members of 1199SEIU spoke about their dedication to their patients and commitment to providing quality care while faced with challenges of understaffing, supply shortages and wages too low to meet the rapidly rising costs of housing, insurance and essential family needs.

“You really have to love your patients to be successful and last in this job,” said long-time CNA and 1199SEIU Rank and File Executive Council Member Sophia Colley who organized and kicked off the event on behalf of her fellow caregivers. “These are our parents, grandparents and other elderly loved ones who deserve to be cared for properly and live out their lives in dignity, but our healthcare system in Florida makes this very difficult.”

Caregivers spoke of spending their own money to buy patients clothing and other supplies, while facilities pay low wages, short-staff and try to cut benefits.  In addition, the GOP majority in the Florida Legislature has been reducing staffing and safety standards in nursing homes for years, and the situation is expected to dramatically worsen when extreme Medicaid cuts pushed by the Trump Administration take effect.

Caregivers find it especially appalling that the massive budget cuts to healthcare services and jobs would be used to fund even more tax breaks for billionaires and big business. 

“Our members work very hard for seniors, the sick and community members who really need the care, it’s terrible that some politicians just want to serve the already rich and powerful,” said Joy Scott, 1199SEIU Vice President. “I’m proud of our caregivers for their dedication and who spoke so eloquently on these issues.  We appreciate the opportunity to share our stories and Central Florida Public Media’s great work to keep our community informed with important news and the real truth, even while it faces its own attacks from Tallahassee and the White House.”

Central Florida Public Media operates WMFE 90.7 FM, the region’s primary provider of National Public Radio programming, as well as other broadcast, streaming and online outlets.  To learn more, visit www.cfpublic.org or www.wmfe.org.

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 About 1199SEIU: 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest union of healthcare workers in the country representing more than 450,000 nurses and healthcare workers nationwide, including more than 35,000 in nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities throughout Florida.

Naughty List—13 Nursing Homes that Failed to Provide Adequate PPE to Protect Seniors and Caregivers

With the coronavirus still ravaging the state of Florida, it’s more important than ever that nursing home workers have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to keep their residents and themselves safe. It was difficult for nursing homes to provide PPE when COVID-19 first surfaced because of a nationwide shortage. But supplies have increased recently due to federal stimulus money allocated for long-term care facilities hit hard by the coronavirus as well as expedited production and donations. As a result, nursing homes that still are not providing enough of this vital equipment should be held accountable. Seniors and other residents in these facilities deserve to be protected from this disease which has already claimed more than 6,000 lives in Florida—about half of those deaths were nursing home residents and workers.

There are 13 nursing homes that have a poor track record of providing PPE for their staff. They are listed below.

  • Avante at Lake Worth Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center
  • Palm Garden of Port Saint Lucie Health and Rehabilitation Center
  • Heritage Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
  • Plantation Bay Rehabilitation Center
  • Rosewood Health and Rehabilitation Center
  • Parks Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
  • Krystal Bay Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
  • Hampton Court Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
  • Claridge House
  • Regents Park at Aventura
  • Coral Reef Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
  • Arch plaza Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center
  • Lake Mary Health and Rehabilitation Center

Among these facilities are four chronic offenders listed in the following graphic:

LTC Bad Actors graphic, 3 facilities 8-7-20 FB

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest healthcare union in Florida, has filed more than 13 federal and state complaints against these and other long-term care facilities for their failure to provide adequate PPE and other offenses. Inspectors with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) have investigated these complaints but found no violations. This contradicts reports from caregivers who say they have had to use the same mask repeatedly for several days and in some cases up to two or three weeks because management had not distributed new PPE to them and their colleagues.

“Long-term care workers are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. They should not have to live in fear of getting exposed to this life-threatening virus and risk bringing it home to their families because of a lack of PPE,” said Margarette Nerette, Vice President at 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. ”We’re calling on AHCA Secretary Mary Mayhew to meet with workers to hear their stories and learn more about the challenges they face to keep themselves and residents safe.”

Several nursing homes have shown signs of improvements but remain on the list until they can demonstrate a consistent pattern of compliance.

It will take grass roots community support to ensure nursing homes are doing all they can to protect our loved ones in their care. Please sign our petition urging state officials to hold

 

Open Letter to Florida Families: Safe Staffing Concerns at Consulate-Owned Nursing Homes

Staffing levels are of grave concern to us because, while we are barely above the state’s minimum standards, Consulates current levels mean that we have between 4-6 more residents than we did before. As you can imagine, this means we don’t get to spend the quality time that we need with each person to ensure that we can serve their meals warm, or ensuring they are as comfortable, changed, cleaned or attended to as we (and we think you) would like.

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Every Minute Counts Campaign Update 2.24.12

Throughout the 2012 Florida legislative session, caregivers, concerned citizens and families with loved ones in a nursing home have been taking action in Tallahassee and across the state to restore the 18 minutes per day of bedside care that was cut for each nursing home resident last year.

Here are some of the milestones of the Every Minute Counts campaign in our effort to protect nursing home residents from life-threatening cuts to bedside care:

  • Over 10,000 people have visited our website EveryMinuteCountsFlorida.org to learn how they can protect their loved one in a nursing home.
  • Over 6,700 Floridians across the state have taken action and signed our Every Minute Counts online petition and pledge cards.
  • Caregivers have visited over 150 legislative offices in Tallahassee and around the state to educate lawmakers on the importance of safe staffing and ask for their support for legislation (SB1332 / HB569) sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano and Representative Mia Jones.
  • The Every Minute Counts Campaign and safe staffing issue has received coverage on over 25 local, state and national television, print, radio and online media outlets.

Throughout the remainder of the 2012 legislative session, the Every Minute Counts campaign will continue raising awareness and pressuring lawmakers to do the right thing by restoring safe staffing and bedside care in nursing homes.