LANSING, Mich., July 6, 2022 — The Michigan Legislative Care Caucus, chaired by state Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit) and co-chaired by state Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy), has issued the following statement regarding the SKLD Bloomfield Hills nursing home workers strike:
“The mission of the Michigan Legislative Care Caucus is to support those providing and receiving long-term care in Michigan and to strengthen the long-term care infrastructure in our state. We strive toward facilitating the highest quality of care for vulnerable Michiganders, which we recognize is only possible when we provide workers with the tools that they need to meet that high standard of care. As such, we support the nursing home workers of SKLD Bloomfield Hills as they push back against chronic short staffing, unlivable wages and unsafe conditions that make it difficult to provide the high-quality care nursing home residents deserve.
“Nursing home workers have put their lives on the line to care for our elderly and people with disabilities, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, nursing home workers — with women and especially women of color overrepresented in these jobs — have been overworked and undervalued for far too long. Now we have arrived at a breaking point, with turnover and staffing shortages at a record high, exacerbating issues of quality care and deepening worker burnout.
“To help recruit and retain more workers and improve care for all Michigan residents, we encourage the management of SKLD Bloomfield Hills to work with these nursing home workers to end any and all unfair labor practices and respect their right to join a union without interference. To do otherwise would be to further exacerbate current worker shortages at a detriment to the care of residents, which we trust is not a desirable outcome for all parties involved.
“The Michigan Legislative Care Caucus will continue to support those providing and receiving long-term care to ensure positive outcomes for all Michiganders.”