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KLCC s Brian Bull reports on a strike at The Rawlin memory care facility that started today (2/16).
[CHANTS, BULLHORN: “We’re fired up…(won’t take it no more)…we’re fired up…(won’t take it no more..)”
Dozens of workers at The Rawlin of Riverbend circled the walk outside the facility. Summer Trosko is a leading med tech who’s with SEIU 503. She told KLCC this strike is for the workers, and the residents they care for.
Striking worker Summer Trosko outside The Rawlin memory care facility where she s employed as a leading medical technician.
Credit Brian Bull / KLCC
Employees at a Springfield memory care facility say they’re going on strike, after management refused to recognize their union.
In these video stills, workers at The Rawlins facility in Springfield listen to speakers discuss their decision to organize a strike.
Credit SEIU Local 503 / YouTube
In a series of video statements, The Rawlin workers say that understaffing, low wages, and insufficient training have put the facility in crisis.
Jenn Gregory, a Rawlin Care Partner, said 85 percent of workers petitioned to unionize.
“Our employer has refused to recognize our union. They want to force us to an election process that could take months. We don’t have months. We have had 21 deaths in the past eight weeks, many of them for non-COVID related reasons. My co-workers and I are convinced that with adequate staff and training, some of these residents would be alive today.”
Credit The Rawlin
The Rawlin at Riverbend Memory Care is owned by Onelife Investments. Workers say they are inadequately staffed and that residents suffer because of it. Summer Trosko is a med tech who has worked at the Rawlin for three years.
“We’re short-staffed all the time,” said Trosko. “The training is really bad. New caregivers training new caregivers. Med techs training for one day and then they’re putting them on the floor.”
Trosko said 21 residents have died in the past 8 weeks. Six from Covid-19. “And most of them have died alone.” Her colleague Hermes Ochoa said there’s just not enough staff to give adequate care.