WATCH: Broomall Village Nursing Home Caregivers Vote for Union and Win

On Wednesday evening, caregivers at Broomall Presbyterian Village, a nursing home in Broomall, Pennsylvania, voted to form a union with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents over 22,000 health care workers statewide.  These workers celebrated their first moments as proud union members by sharing their stories with Sharita Rollins, a certified nursing assistant from Philadelphia and a longtime member of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.  She interviewed the workers and asked them what they hoped to win in their first union contract.

“We take care of seniors from all over the area,” said Joanne Daniels, a CNA from Philadelphia who has worked at Broomall Presbyterian for almost 11 years. “But management won’t pay us the decent wages or health benefits we need to keep doing this hard work. Now that we have formed our union, we can work directly with Broomall management to improve resident care and to get the wages and benefits we need to stay on the job.”

“Our residents need us to come to work healthy and able to do our very best,” said Antiope Asulfat, a CNA who has worked at the home for 8 years. “Our union means we will be able to improve care at this nursing home, and to make sure that every worker is treated respectfully.”

Thousands of nursing home workers who are members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, at over 75 nursing homes across Pennsylvania, will be negotiating their contracts this year. Leaders representing over 6000 nursing home caregivers have met together to discuss their contracts and how to improve conditions for workers and residents.
Video and interviews by Sharita Rollins, a certified nursing assistant and member of SEIU. Edited by Bryan Mercer.