Union for 3,500 Nursing Home Workers Calls for Strike

A union representing 3,500 workers has called for a strike at 27 nursing homes in Connecticut beginning April 24.

The Service Employees International Union, District 1199, announced Wednesday that its members voted to authorize a strike. Workers include nursing aides, dietary and housekeeping staff and nurses.

Their contracts expired in March.

At Paradigm Healthcare, a for-profit Connecticut company, employees received 2 percent raises for three of four years of the last contract. It received no raise in the third year.

Paradigm President and CEO Scott Ziskin said the company has been negotiating in good faith and believed progress was being made for a contract.

A spokesman said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy urges both sides to continue negotiating as he and the legislature craft a budget that includes Medicaid funding.