OneLife Owners,
Caregivers have been on the front lines of the COVID crisis, making sure the most vulnerable are cared for, putting their own health at risk as they have prioritized the care of their consumers. Workers at the The Rawlin, a memory care facility in Springfield, OR owned by Onelife, delivered a petition to management on Monday, demanding immediate recognition of their union and expedited contract negotiations to save residents’ lives. The Rawlin facility has an active COVID-19 outbreak with 47 confirmed cases and six deaths.
The stories are heartbreaking, with 21 deaths in just 8 weeks, most of the people dying alone because of understaffing. Workers who have COVID are being pushed to come back to work, exhausted, and they do it because they are so worried for the residents. The new hires are being send to the floor with minimal training and training is being done by people who have been on the job for mere weeks and months. The workers get a complete lack of respect from management--paid $12.54 after two years on the job, little to no benefits, and no respect for the jobs they do. The traumatizing working conditions, the insufficient training, the low wages and the understaffing is leading to more turnover and very dangerous conditions for the residents.
These workers have come together with their co-workers and demand recognition for a union and stand up for their residents. 85% of the employees have signed both a petition to unionize, and a union card. They have made their decision. They are now demanding that you recognize their union and negotiate with your frontline caregivers to put an end to:
Critical understaffing that endangers residents and workers
Insufficient training that puts residents and workers at risk
Extreme turnover due to low wages and traumatizing working conditions
We hope that you will recognize the demands, let them join a union and get to the bargaining table immediately to be able to work on the issues of understaffing, training, wages and turnover to make sure that the residents can be safe and secure in your facility.
Sincerely,
