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The protest -- which came on the heels of a public meeting in November hosted by the labor union representing nursing home workers -- also called for the owners of the facility to negotiate a contract and stabilize what it called “substandard working conditions.”
According to media reports, the union has linked issues of patient care with a high staff turnover, low pay, and other factors.
Among those participating in the Dec. 10 vigil were state Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers), Congressman Eliot Engel (D-16th), and Yonkers City Council member Michael Sabatino.
"Quality working conditions with stable workforce and low-turnover are essential for high quality resident care,” Mayer said.
Mayer said she was calling on the nursing home’s owners “to comply with the National Labor Relation Board's orders to compensate employees in accordance with the law, ensuring quality care for residents and fair working conditions for employees."
Quality of care must be top priority for all nursing homes, Engel said.
Regardless of the contract situation, concerns raised at Sprain Brook Manor by caregivers, residents, family members, and community leaders need to be addressed, Engel said.
“These residents deserve to spend their golden years in a healthy and caring environment,” he added.
Sabatino, saying that the home’s employees “need a living wage, benefits, and adequate staffing” urged its management “to do the right thing and treat their employees fairly.”
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