Employees at a former Special Focus Facility nursing home in New Jersey could be headed for a strike after five months of failed contract negotiations with new management. 

Once Alliance Healthcare bought Cooper River West, now Riverfront Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center at Cooper River, in early 2019 from Genesis Healthcare, it began work to raise its rankings. By March, the community in Pennsauken Township, NJ, graduated from the Special Focus Facility program and is no longer considered an SFF by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The facility’s negotiations with Local 108 Chapter of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union and District 1199C of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), which includes more than 30 nurses, began in 2019.

While close to terms with District 1199C, Alliance executives have struggled with the local union unit, which represents about 90 housekeeping, dietary and certified nursing assistant employees, according to Riverfront Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Owner Philip Bak.

At stake is whether workers can retain an existing Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan and how much paid time off would be allowed. Local 108 has said it’s willing to make concessions, such as increasing its cost-share to 20% of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan and giving back some vacation time. Many union members have worked at the home for more than 20 years, and earn an average wage of $12 to $13 per hour, the newspaper reported.

The union has issued a 10-day notice to both Alliance and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ahead of a planned strike next week.

“A strike is not something we want,” Charles Hall, president of Local 108 told McKnight’s. “We don’t take this lightly. But when someone takes away your medical plan, that’s a serious matter.”

Alliance’s proposal wouldn’t require employee contribution to the insurance plan in the first year but would expose workers to higher out-of-pocket costs. 

Bak that his facility has replacement workers “ready to go” but that they hope to not need them.

“We have made every effort to keep costs down for our employees and their dependents in light of the challenges the healthcare industry is facing,” Bak told McKnight’s. “We deeply care about our employees’ health and well-being and appreciate the dedication they bring to their work every day. We hope to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”