Morristown Nursing Home Workers Picket, Say Benefits Were Slashed

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A group of nursing home caregivers working at Morristown Post Acute Rehabilitation and Nursing Center participated in an informational picket Thursday in response to new facility management that they say made major cuts to their benefits, a union representing the workers announced in a press release.

According to the release from the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East union, management of the nursing home facility was taken over in December 2019 by Complete Care Management. Workers say health insurance, retirement and other benefits were slashed as a result.

Through the union, workers reportedly asked Complete Care Management to maintain existing benefits during contract negotiations and petitioned the company to find a resolution to the looming cuts.

Brandon Williams, an attorney at Capozzi Adler, spoke to Patch on behalf of Complete Care Management.

"The union has the right to engage in this type of activity to make their point of view known," Williams said. "The parties have been bargaining in good faith, and we look forward to continuing that."

On Feb. 3, the union hand-delivered a second petition to Complete Care providing a 10-day notice of the Feb. 13 picket, which was held in front of the nursing home Thursday afternoon.

"My co-workers and I have spent years improving the quality of our jobs so we can continue the work that we love, only for it to all fall apart when the new owners took over," Nevonne Tyndall, a CNA and 18-year employee of the facility, said in a statement. "This Valentine’s Day, we are demanding that management show that they value the wellbeing of their staff by giving us the benefits we need."