This month's strike was just one of many: healthcare workers from the Sunnyside Convalescent Hospital (SCH) in Fresno, CA, have been striking since September concerning the medical minimum wage disparities, the wage scale seniority discrepancies and the lack of quality care for the nursing home patients at the facility. In fact, the 99-bed facility stayed open throughout the strike.
ONME News found that some SCH nursing home workers who were paid out from the facility, attempted to pay their bills, only to find out that the checks bounced. SEIU 2015 made several attempts to reach the SCH management to address these concerns; however, management has ignored their requests over the past nine months, according to Maria Xiquin, SEIU 2015’s regional director for the Central Valley and Central Coast.
Sunnyside’s owner, Mario Marasigan has made empty promises to change the conditions of the facility and to pay the workers legal checks, canceling the bargaining agreement meetings or making excuses to cancel. As a result, Sunnyside workers struck Oct. 6, complaining of unsafe working conditions, pay at less than minimum wage and bounced paychecks. SCH employees and SEIU 2015 supporters fasted in protest at Fresno's Courthouse Park on Oct 18. ONME News spoke to some of the SCH employees, and here is a summary of their concerns ...