First Contract at Laurelhurst!

Nursing Home Workers Win Employee Health Care

After 7 months at the bargaining table, workers at Laurelhurst Village Nursing Home in Portland reached an agreement that includes a health care plan for all employees.

Laurelhurst workers fought for over a year to form their union, and they were excited to get to the bargaining table. They went in with a clear goal: win health insurance for the first time. Instead they were met with a list of takeaways and no proposed economic improvements.

Workers stuck together and organized many worksite actions. The turning point was a sticker day at the June 22 all-staff meeting. Almost 100% of workers in attendance wore stickers that said "No Takeaways." Before this, management was only proposing health care on the condition that workers gave up 4 days of their Paid Leave Time and their free bus passes. After the successful action, management brought out the first proposal that included health care with no takeaways.

Highlights of the new contract include

Contract Highlights Include:

* Health Care for all Laurelhurst employees!
* $.50 raise
* Fair starting wages
* Grievance Procedure
* Just Cause
* Seniority
* Non-discrimination language

“I’m excited about the contract," said Marie Ostin, a CNA at the Skilled Nursing Facility and member of the Bargaining Team. "We worked so long without health care. When I started working here we had no respect. Now we have health care and respect! We worked so long for on this campaign and this victory is really huge.”

Laurelhurst workers voted nearly unanimously to ratify their contract on Tuesday, August 17th.

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