Nursing homes threaten to close

A group of nursing homes during odds with its kinship workers informed them which unless they agree to concessions they have been deliberation shutting their facilities.The company sent letters to workers during the West River Health Care Center in Milford, the Danbury Health Care Center, Long Ridge of Stamford, Westport Health Care Center as well as the Newington Health Care Center which pronounced the company is seriously deliberation filing applications with the Connecticut Department of Social Services to close their centers.Union members of Service Employees International District 1199 have been without the stipulate since March 2011 as well as employees during the West River were locked out Dec. 13. Employees during the other four comforts go on to work under the expired contract.Company spokesman Ed Remilard pronounced the nursing facilities, along with all others in the state, have been dealing with an 11.1 percent cut in Medicare payment which took effect October 1, 2011. The company pronounced the workers can save their jobs if they agree to the proposed concessions.But some workers pronounced the threat to close the centers is the strong-arm tactic of negotiations.Michelle Baricko, on the picket line Thursday, pronounced the threat to close the comforts is the ploy.She pronounced while the lockout has been difficult, the concessions have been not acceptable.HealthBridge Inc. offered employees the 3 percent raise over 3 years, coupling it with an increase in illness insurance benefits as well as the rebate in paid time off. The company also wants to stop its contributions to the defined benefit pension plan, charity the 401(k) plan instead."The $700 the month for illness insurance is like two paychecks," pronounced Baricko. "Most of us have been single mothers as well as the biggest fear is not being able to put food on the table for the kids."In the minute to HealthBridge attorney Jonathan Kaplan Thursday Union president David Pickus pronounced in which the company's claim to be negotiating in good conviction is untrue, since it has barely budged from its original "take it or leave it" offer. The kinship is adamantly opposed to the shutting of any HealthBridge facility.Union mouthpiece Deborah Chernoff pronounced Thursday sunrise which the company's minute "is nothing short of extortion. They have been land the care of 1,200 people hostage. They competence as good have cut letters out of the newspaper: `Give me what we want or else.'"Talks were scheduled for Feb. 23 as well as Feb. 29 before the company suggested which it competence apply to close the five facilities. Those talks will likely go forward, Chernoff said. "But we have been confused whether we're going to be negotiating over closure or for the new contract,'' she said.HealthBridge mouthpiece Lisa Crutchfield pronounced the kinship has settled contracts with 40 other nursing homes in the past year, as well as most of those have employee pension plans as well as eight paid hours the day.The process of shutting the nursing facility can be lengthy as well as complex. The company contingency file the certificate of need with the state Department of Social Services, the open hearing contingency be hold as well as the company would have to infer which there have been enough beds in the state to accept their patients, officials said. fjuliano@ctpost.com; 203-520-6986; http://twitter.com/frankjuliano Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

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