Employees Say Summit Park has Not Dealt with them Fairly

Employees at Summit Park Health and Rehab Center in Catonsville were protesting Thursday, claiming the parent company has failed to negotiate a working wage and share information about asbestos in the building.

Roughly 30 people protested in the afternoon outside the building, which is located on Frederick Road. The employees are part of the union Service Employees Union International Chapter 1199. The parent company of Summit Park is Sava Senior Care.

Employees said they were notified of asbestos in the building in the form of a letter in April, even though it was discovered in January. According to the employees, asbestos is now being removed. They have also been in negotiations for a new contract, which contains the lowest raise they have ever received at 1.5 percent.

Employees said they have been working without a raise for the last year and that the company has refused to fill positions. 

"You shouldn't have to put a price on resident care," said Randallstown resident Donta Marshall, a nurse's aide at the facility. "At the end of the day the residents suffer."

Union members from around the region came out to show their support as the group carried signs and chanted, "Asbestos has got to go."

Annaliese Impink, a spokeswoman for Summit Park, issued the following statement in an e-mail: "We were made aware that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)- District 1199 would be conducting informational picketing today at Summit Park Health and Rehabilitation Center. 

"While we recognize the right of the union to conduct such picketing, we are disappointed the union has chosen to engage in picketing at this time. We continue to negotiate with the union and remain committed to reaching an equitable collective bargaining agreement," she wrote.

Sally Hill, a Catonsville resident who has worked the night shift at the company for 38 years, said the company is losing good staff because the pay is not competitive.

"It used to be family owned," she said. "It's not the same anymore."

Marshall said they would keep protesting until they have a contract.