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To Absolut Care of Gasport families & community members:
You may have heard that RCA is in labor negotiations with a portion of our Absolut Care of Gasport workforce. As often happens in contract talks, most of the certified nursing assistants [CNAs], food service, housekeeping and activities staff involved voted to establish an option for informational picketing today.
Before we explain our negotiating positions, we want to assure you that the picketing will have no effect on the fine care we deliver to our residents or our neighborly interactions. RCA will draw as needed on our other Western New York facilities to maintain full staffing during this time. If you have any concerns or questions, please call RCA Regional Vice President Andrea Czora at 716.650.7755.
We also want to be transparent with you about these management-union negotiations, because we want our staff focused on caring for our residents, knowing they can build their career here with fair salaries and benefits.
We met twice in May with representatives of the union, known as 1199SEIU, and also yesterday. We have great respect for the hard-working, front-line employees who care for our residents. RCA demonstrated this throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by being among the first health-care companies in the state to create a $5-an-hour bonus for our employees working in a COVID area. That consideration is emblematic as well of our approach to the current negotiations for a new contract for the 45 staff members at Absolut Care of Gasport.
Since RCA took over Absolut’s operations in early March 2020, we:
In the last year, meanwhile, RCA established three other contracts with 1199SEIU locals at four facilities in Western New York and one in Painted Post. The employees ratified all the contracts, which will pay the CNAs $14.35 an hour. At the negotiating table, RCA offered our Gasport CNAs $14.45 an hour and $14.50 an hour for cooks.”
Beyond the hourly rate, the company also offered:
RCA continues to respect our employees at Absolut Care of Gasport and we expect to agree to a fair and acceptable contract as soon as possible that enhances employees’ salaries and benefits.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Our Physical and Occupational Therapists are full-time employees of Absolut Care of Gasport. They are fully invested in the successful treatment and rehabilitation of our residents. Our Rehab staff work closely with a resident’s personal physician/surgeon to implement the prescribed protocols, and an individualized treatment plan is developed to meet each resident’s needs. Therapy services are offered 6 days per week when prescribed, allowing residents the opportunity to progress more rapidly toward their return home.
At Absolut Care of Gasport, we also specialize in caring for residents and their family as the end of life approaches. Our staff are specially trained in palliative care and are sensitive to the difficulties that residents and family members experience during this time. Our residents are part of our family, and we never lose sight of the important role they play in their own family.
Let us help you find a way everyone can live well with.
