Workers at five Ciena Healthcare Nursing Home facilities in Metro Detroit took part in a one-day strike on Tuesday.
The strike begins at 6am and will include more than 300 nursing home workers at the next site.
Boulevard Temple Care Center is located on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Notting Hill, West Bloomfield, on Drake Road, West Bloomfield Township. Qualicare nursing home on East Grand Boulevard, Detroit. Regency, a chain on the East Burner Highway in Detroit. Regency at St. Clair Store on Greater Mac Avenue in Detroit.
The union representing workers is SEIU Health Care Michigan (SEIU HCMI).
The strike aims to bring attention to the fact that Michigan's largest nursing home operator, Ciena Healthcare, and the state's largest medical coalition, the union, have failed to reach the negotiation agreement. The union said many employees had worked without a contract for several months, dating back to January 2024.
“You're attached to the people you work with,” said healthcare worker Christina Helst. “You'll attach these beautiful inhabitants who live here. You love them so much that it makes it difficult to want to go somewhere else.”
“It's very sad,” said Daedra Lingham, a healthcare worker. “I've been here for seven years, but some people have been working longer than I do and can't do anything for 10 years.
Both Lingham and Hurst work at Notting Hill Nursing Home.
In response to the strike, Ciena Healthcare CEO David Parker issued the following statement:
The 24-hour strike by members of SEIU Healthcare in Michigan is underway at five nursing facilities managed by Ciena Healthcare in southeastern Michigan. Each of these collective bargaining agreements is a separate, clear agreement that is not related to each other.
First and foremost, our affected facilities have prepared the necessary and continue to provide quality care to all residents during these strikes by SEIU Healthcare in Michigan.
These strikes at this point by SEIU Healthcare in Michigan are not necessary given that (i) none of the collective bargaining agreements are of course. (ii) The two facilities are in the early stages of negotiation. At the negotiation table, employers have provided numerous contract enhancements, including annual wage increases for each year and years of contract. Simply put, this strike has distracted attention from negotiations to resolve the remaining few issues in each contract, and we look forward to working with the union to obtain contracts that are favorable to our employees.
Ciena Healthcare's leadership is done by all employees who are members of the collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU Healthcare in Michigan, and we appreciate the provision of quality care to our residents every day.
