NFM nursing home employees protest for better work conditions

Author: wink news
Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Employees at the Consulate Health Care of North Fort Myers say they want more money.

Dozens of protestors marched outside the nursing home Monday, instead of being inside taking care of patients, which is where the nurses say they would rather be.

Protestors want the mangers to sign a contract with their union, giving them the same benefits other union members have at other Consulate Health Care centers.

The 56 nurses on strike tell WINK News many of them make less than $13 an hour and have a very poor health insurance plan.

They say they love their jobs and their patients but need better working conditions. They’ve been trying to get a contract in place for the past eight months but say their management won’t budge.

“We just don’t get paid what we deserve. We don’t have good health insurance. We take care of the sick in there, we get sick and we don’t even have insurance that will cover it. I mean a $3,500 deductible for someone making $9 an hour?” said Gail Bruno.

There are other staff members taking care of the patients right now. The nurses say they’ll continue protesting for 48 hours and then they plan to go back to work.

WINK News tried to talk to the management at the nursing home. They referred us to their corporate office but we have not heard back.

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